UL Solutions announces new data center testing and certification service
UL Solutions Inc. recently announced its new testing and certification service for immersion cooling fluids for data centers, which contain critical equipment needed for artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies but are at risk for dangerous overheating.
Data centers are vital facilities that control and centralize an organization’s information technology (IT) operations and equipment. Data centers house critical proprietary assets and store, process, and disseminate data that are essential for modern communications, commerce, and vital applications. They consume large amounts of electricity and generate significant heat that could damage data or lead to a fire. Keeping these centers safe, secure, and energy-efficient is a challenge facing organizations globally.
“As data centers face greater demands and power consumption increases, operators urgently need safe and energy-efficient cooling solutions to maximize power-usage effectiveness, performance, and reliability,” said Sherry He, Vice President and General Manager of Consumer, Medical, and Information Technologies at UL Solutions. “That’s why fluids are a critical element of data center performance and safety.”
“UL Solutions’ new engineering evaluation, testing, and certification for immersion cooling fluids, combined with our programs for immersion tanks and immersion systems, support safer innovation in data centers, which are essential for applications such as AI and cryptocurrency,” said He.
Immersion cooling relies on specially designed liquids to efficiently dissipate heat from IT equipment, such as computers, known for generating high temperatures. The IT equipment is immersed in the liquid, which then carries the heat away, either by circulating naturally or by being pumped through a liquid cooling system. This method uses less energy than traditional air cooling and helps equipment run more efficiently and reliably.
To achieve certification, immersion cooling fluids must meet the requirements of UL 2417, the Outline of Investigation for Immersion Cooling Fluids for Use with Information and Communication Technology Equipment. This outline describes requirements and tests for evaluating the performance of immersion cooling fluids intended for use with information and communication technology equipment, including autoignition temperature, flash point, and dielectric breakdown voltage testing.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2024 Report on U.S. Data Center Energy Use produced by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and are expected to consume approximately 6.7% to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028. The report also stated that the total electricity usage of data centers rose from 58 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2014 to 176 TWh in 2023, equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power approximately 16.4 million homes for one year. Immersion cooling fluids are one of the innovations that data center operators are leveraging to address this critical and growing challenge.
Learn more about UL Solutions’ immersion cooling fluids testing and certification services at https://www.UL.com/services/immersion-cooling-fluids-testing.
