TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 1864.consprcy@1:2320/105 2dae92de   
   PID: Synchronet 3.21a-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.28-Linux master/123f2d28a Jul 12 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   FORMAT: flowed   
   No wonder there's a bubble - study claims nearly all of the worlds data   
   centers are built in the wrong climate   
      
   Date:   
   Sun, 21 Dec 2025 23:30:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Most global data centers are built in unsuitable climates, straining cooling,   
   energy, and infrastructure as AI and cloud demand rise.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The majority of the worlds data center capacity is located in climates that   
   impose permanent cooling and energy efficiency penalties.    
      
   According to industry guidance from ASHRAE, the optimal inlet air    
   temperatures for data centers range from 18C to 27C. Yet an analysis mapping   
   global data centers shows that nearly 7,000 of the 8,808 operational   
   facilities operate outside this range.   
      
   Climate misalignment is now the global norm   
      
   About 600 facilities sit in areas where average annual temperatures exceed   
   27C, while many others operate in cooler regions below 18C.    
      
   Singapore, for example, has temperatures hovering around 33C, with humidity   
   levels frequently above 80%.  Yet the country hosts more than 1.4 gigawatts of   
   operational capacity, and authorities have approved several hundred additional   
   megawatts under tighter efficiency controls.   
      
   Higher ambient temperatures increase cooling demand and reduce electricity   
   transmission efficiency, placing additional strain on local power grids.    
   Data centers accounted for about 7% of national electricity consumption in   
   2020, with projections indicating a sharp increase if capacity expansion   
   continues at the current pace.    
      
   Demand for cloud hosting has also accelerated construction in regions already   
   experiencing sustained heat.    
      
   According to international energy estimates, data centers consumed roughly    
   415 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, or about 1.5% of global demand.    
   That figure is expected to more than double by 2030 as higher-density systems   
   proliferate.    
      
   Location decisions for servers are typically driven by power availability,   
   electricity pricing, water access, land costs, and regulatory incentives.    
   These considerations often outweigh temperature suitability when operators   
   evaluate new projects.    
      
   Air cooling remains the dominant approach globally, accounting for just over   
   half of deployed data center cooling systems. Liquid-based cooling is gaining   
   traction, particularly for high-density racks drawing well above 100 kilowatts,   
   but retrofitting existing facilities remains capital-intensive.   
      
   Many of the hottest data center markets also face constrained power and water   
   resources, which limits the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.    
      
   Risk assessments indicate that by 2040, extreme heat could affect roughly   
   two-thirds of major data center hubs worldwide.    
      
   In several countries, including Singapore, Nigeria, and the United Arab   
   Emirates, every operational facility is already located in zones exceeding    
   the 27C threshold.    
      
   Taken together, the data suggest that current expansion patterns prioritize   
   short-term demand and regulatory compliance over long-term environmental   
   efficiency.    
      
   There are reports that AI is in bubble territory, with prominent figures such   
   as Michael Burry and Pat Gelsinger warning of overvaluation and speculative   
   hype.    
      
   The rapid expansion of AI workloads is driving unprecedented growth in data   
   centers, which sharply increases power demands and operational costs.    
   This surge in energy use illustrates one clear economic consequence of the   
   speculated AI bubble, linking inflated expectations to real-world   
   infrastructure strain.    
      
   Via Tom's Hardware    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/no-wonder-theres-a-bubble-study-claims-nearly-al   
   l-of-the-worlds-data-centers-are-built-in-the-wrong-climate   
      
   $$   
   --- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux   
    * Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/105)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/14 305 153/7715 154/110 218/700   
   SEEN-BY: 226/30 227/114 229/110 134 206 300 307 317 400 426 428 470   
   SEEN-BY: 229/664 700 705 266/512 291/111 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45   
   SEEN-BY: 460/58 633/280 712/848 902/26 2320/0 105 304 3634/12 5075/35   
   PATH: 2320/105 229/426