For years, the data centre industry has measured efficiency in terms of ever-improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). This standard industry metric calculates how much of the total power entering the facility is used to run computing equipment, measured against how much energy is used on building services and infrastructure.

Cooling is the single largest operational energy demand in most data centres, so efficient cooling systems are vital to achieve PUEs as close to the ideal 1:00 ratio as possible.

As artificial intelligence workloads continue to increase server densities and heat loads, operators are investing heavily in technology such as high-efficiency chillers and hybrid cooling systems designed to reduce energy consumption without compromising resilience.

Yet the performance of these systems depends on a factor that’s often hidden: the quality of the water circulating through them. This is where Enwa’s EnwaMatic side stream filtration technology is designed to make a difference.

Developed for closed cooling and heating systems, it’s an automated solution that continuously conditions circulating water, helping operators maintain the stable system performance that efficient data centre cooling demands.

Maintaining peak cooling efficiency

Cooling systems for data centres are designed to operate within extremely tight performance tolerances. Plate heat exchangers, chilled water circuits and cooling equipment must transfer heat as efficiently as possible if operators are to achieve the energy savings promised by today’s advanced designs.

Poor water treatment gradually works against that objective. Scale deposits, corrosion products and biological contamination all reduce heat transfer efficiency. Pumps work harder. Equipment consumes more electricity. Cooling performance declines slowly but continuously, often without attracting immediate attention.

The result is a gradual erosion of system efficiency that increases operating costs while placing additional strain on critical cooling assets. For facilities where every percentage point of energy efficiency matters, water quality is an operational performance issue.

Maximising the value of renewable energy

The data centre sector’s sustainability ambitions make this even more important. Across the UK and Europe, data centre operators are investing heavily in renewable energy generation1.

Some are installing rooftop solar PV systems to support daytime electricity demand, while others are combining on-site generation with battery energy storage to improve resilience and reduce reliance on high-carbon grid electricity.  Larger operators are also entering long-term renewable power agreements and developing dedicated solar projects to supply their facilities with clean energy.

These investments represent a significant commitment to reducing operational carbon emissions.

However, generating or purchasing renewable electricity is only part of the equation. The electricity consumed by inefficient cooling systems still has to be generated somewhere. Every unnecessary kilowatt consumed because heat exchangers have become fouled or water systems have deteriorated, reduces the overall return on those sustainability investments.

In other words, improving cooling efficiency helps operators extract maximum value from every unit of renewable energy available to them.

Water treatment delivers long-term operational performance

Maintaining clean water circuits reduces fouling, limits corrosion, protects heat transfer surfaces and mitigates the risk of design performance dropping off over the systems service life.

Enwa’s EnwaMatic side stream filtration system automates that process by continuously monitoring and conditioning the circulating water.

That brings several important benefits:

• Lower energy consumption through improved heat transfer.
• Reduced wear on pumps, valves and cooling equipment.
• Lower maintenance requirements and fewer unplanned interventions.
• Longer asset life.
• More consistent cooling performance under increasing AI and high-density workloads.

EnwaMatic filters down to < 10 microns removing suspended solids while helping to control corrosion and provide a harsh environment for bacteria. Keeping heat transfer surfaces clean allows cooling equipment to operate more efficiently, reducing unnecessary energy consumption while protecting valuable plant throughout its operational life.

EnwaMatic will also respond dynamically to system water exchange, dissolving reaction media reserves to help maintain consistent water quality and chemistry, reducing the maintenance burden on facilities teams. This is an important point for data centres where access is highly restricted for security reasons.

Supporting genuinely sustainable data centres

As sustainability expectations around data centres continue to rise, operators are looking beyond headline carbon figures. They want every part of a facility to contribute towards long-term environmental performance, from power procurement and cooling technology through to water management, maintenance practices and lifecycle optimisation.

This is the philosophy that underpins Enwa’s own approach to water treatment. Sustainability is integrated throughout the company’s operations, from designing energy-efficient systems and environmentally responsible technologies to helping customers optimise resource use, recover value and minimise waste.

The company views sustainable water management as a long-term responsibility, delivering efficient industrial water treatment solutions that protect both operational performance and water resources for future generations. Enwa’s EnwaMatic technology reflects that philosophy by extending equipment life, reducing energy waste and supporting more efficient use of the resources that modern data centres depend upon.

Enwa has adopted a clear sustainability strategy and voluntarily complies with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), reflecting its belief that environmental responsibility should be measured, reported and continually improved.

Efficient data centres depend on hundreds of individual design decisions working together. Advanced cooling systems, renewable energy generation and intelligent water treatment each contribute to overall performance.

By keeping cooling circuits clean and operating efficiently, Enwa’s EnwaMatic side stream filtration technology helps operators protect critical infrastructure, reduce energy consumption and extract the maximum value from every kilowatt available.

In a sector where efficiency gains are increasingly measured in fractions of a percentage point, that contribution can have a significant impact over the lifetime of a facility.

 

ABOUT ENWA WATER TECHNOLOGY UK

Enwa Water Technology UK (EWT UK) specialise in ‘cutting edge’ Side Stream Filtration and Water Treatment for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system applications.

With the continued expansion of the ‘Cloud’, the pressure to develop and optimise Data Storage Facilities has increased the world over. At ENWA we have long understood that the chilled water systems within data centres are absolutely business critical. Our proven technology EnwaMatic® works at the very heart of these cooling systems to protect the energy carrier and maintain their performance.

If you would like to find out more about the EnwaMatic approach to water treatment, please contact our team to learn more about our unique technology on uksales@enwa.com or call 01530 830 354.

Visit the DATACENTRE.ME Directory Listing for Enwa Water Technology UK here.

 

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