Last month, we launched an initiative highlighting how datacentres will no longer just be the backbone of modern technology, but also a catalyst for positive change in the communities they touch. As part of our commitment to sustainability, Microsoft recognizes its critical role in preserving and replenishing global freshwater resources in the communities where we operate and around the world.
To address the pressing issue of sustainability in our datacentre operations, a crucial question arises daily: How do we balance the need to conserve precious water resources while meeting growing customer demands for cloud and artificial intelligence innovations?
In data centers, water is predominantly utilized for cooling and humidity control. As demand for high-performance cloud and AI capabilities continues to surge over the past few years, driving buyer functions and opening a new frontier of exploration and innovation, the requirements for silicon chips – the fundamental building blocks of cloud and AI computing – have escalated, underscoring their pivotal role in datacenter operations? Because high-performance chips can occasionally utilize excess power to operate more efficiently, they also tend to produce increased heat. To prevent overheating and ensure optimal performance of the chips, a reliable cooling system is crucial, which historically has necessitated water consumption.
To achieve our ambitious goal of becoming water-positive by 2030, we are driving innovation across our entire operations – from our data center buildings to the chips themselves – to significantly reduce the water required for our operations. Together, this effort is yielding significant and tangible results. Since establishing our own data centers in the early 2000s, we have made significant strides in reducing our water consumption per kilowatt-hour, achieving a remarkable 80% decrease by 2023. As our cloud infrastructure continues to grow, this innovative solution has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of water used per kilowatt of energy in our datacenters.
Currently, we’re highlighting two key initiatives: firstly, optimizing water conservation across all operational stages; secondly, leveraging innovative technologies that minimize the amount of water required for cooling processes.
Water conservation initiatives are crucial throughout every phase of operations.
Across all regions, we strive to reduce our water usage for cooling purposes. By operating our data centers at temperatures permitting the use of outside air for most of the year, we reduce the need for ambient cooling systems and conserve water throughout daily operations.
We perform routine audits of our data centers to identify discrepancies between design and operational realities, thereby pinpointing opportunities for improvement. Following a thorough 2022 audit, we implemented targeted improvements that significantly reduced excessive water usage by an impressive 90%. By developing advanced predictive models, we’re able to accurately forecast water requirements, leveraging real-time climate and operational data. By analyzing predicted consumption patterns with precision, we can swiftly identify inefficiencies, much like undetected water leaks that would otherwise remain hidden.
To reduce freshwater dependencies on municipal water supplies, we employ customized conservation strategies specifically designed for each bioregion surrounding our data centers. In Texas, Washington, California, and Singapore, we have successfully expanded the utilization of reclaimed and recycled water. In the Netherlands, Ireland, and Sweden, we are successfully implementing rainwater harvesting initiatives, and we’re now extending this capability to new data centers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, Italy, South Africa, and Austria.
Researchers are actively exploring innovative technologies to significantly reduce the amount of water required for cooling in modern industries.
Microsoft’s water strategy relies heavily on modern cooling technologies, which we’re rapidly advancing across our entire data center spectrum. The innovation lies in options designed to dissipate heat from the source of warmth – the chip itself.
A novel application of thermal management technology is the chilly plate, which employs direct-to-chip cooling to modulate heat transfer within a closed-loop system. Cooling plates efficiently dissipate heat by rapidly chilling silicon and then circulating the coolant, mimicking a car’s radiator design. This resolution significantly enhances cooling efficiency and enables more precise temperature control compared to traditional methods.
We’re developing a next-generation data center design that leverages the enhanced efficiency of direct-to-chip cooling by creating innovative server and rack formats that seamlessly integrate with novel thermal and power management strategies. Currently, our data centers are leveraging advancements such as the ‘sidekick,’ a liquid cooling system already integrated alongside racks of chips, which circulates fluid to efficiently dissipate heat away from the cold plates attached to the bottom of the chips.
We’re further advancing cold plate technologies through our collaboration on microfluidics, which enables internal silicon cooling by seamlessly integrating minuscule fluid channels into chip architectures. By integrating liquid cooling directly into the chip, the coolant is precisely delivered to the processor, resulting in significantly enhanced performance and accuracy.
Our cutting-edge data center designs have been specifically engineered to support the unique requirements of AI workloads while also boasting a revolutionary feature: zero water consumption for cooling, thereby minimizing our ecological footprint and promoting sustainable practices. We’re transitioning to chip-level cooling solutions that provide precise temperature control exactly where needed, eliminating the need for evaporation. With these enhancements, we will significantly reduce water usage while supporting increased rack density, thereby enabling more computing power per square foot. foot inside our datacenters.
Strengthening global partnerships to conserve and replenish the world’s precious water resources?
Guided by an optimistic outlook, we strive not only to reduce our water footprint through sustainable business practices, but also to leverage these efforts to benefit customers and partners pursuing similar goals.
The five pillars of a water-optimistic approach – discounting, replenishing, entering, innovating, and providing comprehensive coverage – each plays a vital role in our pursuit of water excellence.
Within the past year, our progress has been substantial, with our water replenishment portfolio nearly doubling in size to include more than 49 initiatives globally. Collectively, these projects hold the potential to replenish more than 24,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools throughout their lifetimes. By achieving our 2030 goal, we successfully provided access to clean water and sanitation services for 1.5 million people, meeting our target to improve the lives of those in need.2
In addition to our efforts, we are actively reducing global water consumption by partnering with stakeholders, indigenous peoples, local authorities and governments to enhance water supply systems and accessibility worldwide. Companies’ water management strategies often trail behind investments in carbon reduction?1We’re actively advocating for innovative and forward-thinking approaches to effective water management and sustainable policy-making. We have championed several key advocacy efforts, including participating in a coalition aimed at promoting nationwide water reuse and recycling practices, providing financial support to aid Tribal Nations and state governments in enhancing water security, and fostering collaboration with the European Commission by supporting research, evaluation, and advocacy initiatives focused on water issues.
Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability continues to evolve as the company sets ambitious goals for reducing its environmental footprint. Through innovative initiatives and strategic partnerships, they aim to minimize waste, conserve resources, and promote eco-friendly practices across their operations.
What advancements are being made in sustainability through our Sustainable by Design blog series, starting with…? To stay informed about our advancements towards achieving our sustainability goals, access the Microsoft portal.
1The Global Economic Forum, 2024.
2, Microsoft.
