Economic analysis of data center cooling strategies

Abstract Advancements in information technology have led to an increasing demand for data centers (DCs), and the energy consumption of DCs has gained attention worldwide. Many researchers have attempted to develop efficient DC cooling systems to reduce the energy required for cooling DCs, however, there are limitations in identifying the effect of such systems from the economic perspective. Subsequently, project owners find it difficult to decide whether to apply these systems to their particular DCs. The present research aims to analyze the economic performance of seven cooling strategies developed by the combinations of widely used DC cooling systems. The economic performance of each strategy is estimated by the life cycle cost analysis technique, and the analysis results show that Strategy 5 (A2_M: air-side economizer and supplementary cooling by a mechanical system) yields economic benefits of 26.84% in comparison to the conventional cooling system. The proposed research methodology and obtained results are expected to aid project owners in making effective decisions regarding the selection of an appropriate cooling strategy from an economic perspective.