Redefining efficiency: The IT liquid cooling advantage

Joleen Maritz, IT Enclosure Sales, Rittal South Africa. (Image: Supplied)

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Demand for smarter, more efficient climate control solutions continues to grow, particularly as industries embrace high-performing computing, digitalisation and automation. As Joleen Maritz, IT Infrastructure Sales, Rittal South Africa, explains, traditional cooling methods are not keeping up with the increasing energy demands and higher heat loads we’re seeing in modern data centres. “Liquid cooling presents a great heat management solution. It’s more effective than traditional air-cooling methods and it’s more sustainable,” she says. “We expect that it will gain traction in the local market, enabling more efficient, reliable and energy-efficient data centres, edge computing installations as well as factories.”

Liquid cooling uses a closed loop to move coolant through pipes or plates that absorb heat from powerful components. The warmed liquid then passes through a heat exchanger to cool down before circulating again. IT and industrial applications typically use one of three liquid cooling methods: direct-to-chip cooling, immersion cooling or hybrid cooling systems.

Maritz outlines five key benefits of liquid cooling, including:

1. Improved efficiency – liquid cooling absorbs heat more effectively than air, enabling more precise temperature control.
2. Reduced energy consumption – liquid cooling reduces reliance on high-power fans and air conditioning units.
3. Improved space optimisation – more compact cooling designs are possible, as the need for bulky heat sinks and ventilation infrastructure is eliminated.
4. Reduced wear and tear – lower operating temperatures reduce wear and tear on sensitive IT components, extending equipment life.
5. Sustainability – liquid cooling minimises heat waste.

With its extensive portfolio of cooling solutions – including advanced liquid cooling systems – Rittal is at the forefront of IT cooling. “Rittal solutions have been developed to resolve the challenges facing industry. They’re modular, scalable and robust,” says Maritz.

The company’s latest cooling development (which will be available to the local market soon) is a direct water cooling solution that delivers 1 megawatt of cooling output. It connects the server to central inlets and outlets of water via standardised connections, with leakage monitoring. Liquid-to-air variants are also available for data centres without a water connection.

“Businesses face a host of challenges, including rising costs. Investment in solutions that lower energy consumption and support equipment longevity and performance – like liquid cooling – are not to be overlooked,” concludes Maritz.