By K. Pichet Ketruam
Since the release of Satoshi Nakamoto’s famous whitepaper more than a decade ago, cryptocurrencies have taken the world by storm. Today, there are more than 18,000 different cryptocurrencies around the world, each using vastly different technologies, running on different consensus algorithms. This cumulative effect takes a toll on digital infrastructure, and drives energy consumption up. In Southeast Asia, this high energy utilisation impacts Thailand, where the country leads the world in terms of cryptocurrency adoption, with 20% of the population invested in these digital assets.
As it is, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, Bitcoin, expends up 138 Terrawatt Hours per year according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, which is more than half of the energy consumption of Thailand in 2020. As regulations mature, adoption rate increases, and governments roll out Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), it’s only expected for cryptocurrency and decentralised finance to explode; causing a tsunami effect in energy consumption and derailing efforts to sustainable data centres.
Expecting this surge and mass adoption, Thailand has even taken steps to ensure the country is sufficiently crypto-friendly; with the Finance Ministry announcing a 7% VAT exemption from crypto trading on authorised exchanges, as well as other initiatives by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to position the country as a destination for crypto tourism. It is no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ mass adoption will occur, and how data centres should optimise operations to cater for cryptocurrencies, while remaining sustainable.
High Density Data Centres
Traditionally, data centres would simply add new floors to accommodate more racks and servers to meet the higher demands for IT resources and productivity. High Density Computing and High Performance Computing (HPC), once limited to mega-corporations, is now revisited as a way to solve challenging energy and computation needs of the cryptocurrency industry.
The present day modular, high density, high performance computing systems, allow data centres to compress more power density and computing power per square foot, enabling a more optimised space without having to renovate, expand or overhaul infrastructure. Consequently, data centres can downsize existing operations, and designate the freed up space for other equipment, or make room for future expansion and improved revenue potential.
Immersed In Next Generation Cooling
When it comes to scaling up operations to support cryptocurrency activities such as cryptomining, legacy systems utilising Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx) and Liquid to Chip (LTC) cooling are no longer sufficient nor practical in effective heat dissipation. Switching out old racks for modular high density racks also means having to manage heat generated from all that increased power in that space. Today, immersion cooling has been successfully utilised to achieve energy-efficient heat dissipation for both open and closed architectures, using dielectric liquid refrigerant technology to regulate heat out of the data centre.
Immersion cooling, like cryptocurrency, has turnabout the data centre world. Clean, silent and cool, immersion technology has reduced the need for frequent hardware maintenance; with coolants reportedly lasting more than a decade, and the only maintenance involved is an insignificant filter change on an annual basis. Immersion cooling technology has also enabled data centres to scale faster, and more easily – due to its compatibility with all types of hardware, a potential that is nudging data centres to think immersion-first right out of the box.
Consequently, immersion cooling technology has become top-of-mind for data centres to convert existing operations into a cooler, more cost-effective and space-saving sustainable business.
Sustainable Practices For The Future
With the data centre industry taking steps toward more climate friendly practices, 2022 will see operators jumping on the bandwagon more purposefully. Currently, only 2% of energy in Thailand comes from sustainable sources, and more effort has to be in place before organisations can fully embrace and shift to depend solely on renewable energy. While the industry waits for that reality to realise, data centres can already find advantages to hybrid distributed energy systems now that are already helping improve efficiencies and reduce carbon footprint.
Fuel cells, renewable assets and long-duration energy storage systems such as battery energy storage systems (BESS) all play a role in providing sustainable, resilient and reliable outcomes. Some countries in Southeast Asia have already begun lithium-ion recycling in anticipation of hybrid energy trends and electric vehicles; supporting sustainable recycling practices though cutting-edge hydrometallurgy. It is only a matter of time before Thailand joins the ranks.
Conclusion
High density, low power usage efficiency (PUE) solutions such as the Liebert VIC, will empower data centres with the capacity to not only take on the most computational-demanding clients, but achieve sustainability-driven business outcomes and greater enterprise profitability. With the global economy becoming more digital by the day, it is safe to say that cryptocurrencies will be core to the data centre industry. Cryptocurrencies can be a bane or balm for data centres, and the right approach is needed to capitalise on these opportunities and turn them into a winning strategy.
