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Achieving energy efficiency for HVAC systems in age of Artificial Intelligence
Paul Beech, international sales manager of Armatherm, discusses the role of HVAC systems in today’s ever-changing climate and the need for energy-efficient solutions to be implemented alongside them
E
nergy efficiency is such a common term used across the industry, especially with today’s sustainability goals, but what does it really
mean in relation to heating and ventilation? With recent technological developments, HVAC systems have become more efficient because of the need to reach eco-friendly targets. However, the demand for them has increased alongside changes in the technological world with worldwide usage of AI. To meet the growing requirements of AI, the construction of data centres is set to increase. But, because of this, it is vital that HVAC systems in these facilities also operate as efficiently as possible to meet stricter energy standards, in the race to minimise emissions. However, without effective insulation to combat thermal bridging, these systems tend to work harder and could be considered less efficient than intended. HVAC systems are an essential component of buildings where a consistent temperature is crucial, but with the introduction of stricter energy standards and the ever-changing needs in the technological world, the demand for systems has evolved significantly, as well as the need for them to work more efficiently. For instance, they are vital to the workings of cold storage units, data centres and residential buildings; however, with the rising AI requirements and ensuring occupant comfort in residential buildings, these systems are becoming more widely used as new construction increases. For the UK in particular, data centre construction
has surged over recent years, with large investments being made to ensure they can keep up with the ever-growing AI demand. Projects valued up to £100 million are in place, with building of these centres up by 13%. This means that the installation of HVACs will inevitably also rise, as without these systems in the facilities, the servers are at risk of not working at optimal performance and overheating. Even though they are essential to these buildings, they do consume a significant amount of energy to run 24/7 and therefore might not meet these tighter energy requirements which are being introduced. Typically, an AI request can take up to 10 times
more energy than a traditional web search, which data centres need to be equipped to deal with. At this moment in time, data centres currently consume around 1.5% to 2% of global electricity, but due to the rise of data centre construction and AI, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that this figure will double to reach approximately 3% by 2030. Because of this, it is vital that these new facilities, due to be constructed, are made as
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efficient as possible, and with newly developed HVAC systems, it is possible that they will be able to meet these tighter targets, especially now with systems consuming 20% to 50% less electricity than older, traditional fixed-speed units. Despite this, it is possible that they aren’t as efficient as they could be. This is due to an often overlooked problem called thermal bridging. Occurring when the continuous insulation of a building envelope is interrupted, thermal bridging creates transverses where energy can easily transfer out of the building and vice versa. In this instance, where buildings need to remain at a constant temperature, thermal bridging can cause HVAC systems to work harder in order to keep internal spaces cool and therefore consume more energy. However, in today’s climate where energy requirements are tighter and new construction must be compliant/efficient, it is essential that thermal bridging is addressed in addition to the implementation of these newer and more sustainable HVAC systems.
Solutions begin with ensuring a facility is
properly insulated, which helps reduce the movement of energy through the walls and henceforth improves the efficiency of the building. In today’s market, there are many different ways to improve the insulation of the facility; however,
with some HVAC systems such as geothermal heat pumps, they tend to disrupt the building envelope as they are installed by integrating them between the server cooling loops and the subsurface foundation. This is where thermal bridging could occur and therefore allows heat to easily escape. Considered as one of the more efficient HVAC systems, the optimal performance of geothermal heat pumps is limited because of thermal bridging and therefore ideally needs installing with thermal break solutions in place too. These small insulating blocks can restrict the movement of energy by up to 80%, improving the overall efficiency of the facility, helping to meet these tighter standards. In summary, HVACs have improved significantly
in regard to becoming more energy-efficient; however, their optimal performance is limited by thermal bridging and whether, during construction, it is combatted with solutions. Systems such as geothermal heat pumps and liquid cooling systems use alternative ways to keep internal temperatures constantly cool, but without addressing these transverses where energy can escape, they could continue to overwork and therefore not be as effective as they could be. With today’s stricter standards, it is essential that both are implemented in conjunction with the other, so that they can be considered at their prime efficiency.
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