Whether the cooling architecture is based on CRAH units, fan walls, CDUs or direct-to-chip cooling, one requirement remains: cooling needs to follow actual demand. And operators need to know whether it does.
For Claes Odgaard, Head of Sales / Technical Solutions at Belimo Denmark, that makes transparency part of the design brief—not something to add at commissioning.
“If you don’t have precise flow control and visibility into the system, you are essentially working blind. When something goes wrong, identifying the cause can take longer—potentially increasing downtime,” he says.
More than flow control
For developers, consultants and contractors, this makes transparency a design consideration:
Which parameters need to be measured? Where is visibility needed? How should flow respond to changing loads? And what information will operators need once the facility is live?
Flexibility matters too.
As data centre capacity and cooling requirements evolve, control solutions should be able to adapt without compromising performance or requiring unnecessary system changes.
Together, these considerations influence the choice of control components.
Beyond controlling water flow, the right components can provide operational data such as flow and temperature, giving operators greater insight into how the cooling system is actually performing.
Solutions such as the Belimo Energy Valve combine pressure-independent flow control with integrated measurement and data, supporting both precise control and visibility into system operation.
Transparency in practice
At Cerebras’ AI data centre in Oklahoma, the principle can be seen in a liquid-cooled environment.
Belimo valves form part of the cooling water infrastructure, while operating parameters such as water temperatures are monitored across the cooling system.
Projects like this also contribute to the experience shared across Belimo’s international organisation, says Claes Odgaard:
“Through Belimo’s global Data Center specialist group, we have access to the latest knowledge and best practices from projects around the world.
“This enables us to advise customers on reliable and energy-efficient solutions, where precise control, full visibility of system data and minimal downtime are key factors.”
As cooling technologies continue to evolve, the solutions may change. The need for precise control and transparency does not.
Designing both into the system from the start gives operators a better foundation for understanding performance, identifying issues and optimising operation over time.
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