As global awareness of climate change intensifies, the role of renewable energy in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is becoming increasingly critical. According to data from the International Energy Agency, renewable energy’s share in global electricity generation surged from 20% in 2010 to nearly 29% in 2020. While this upward trend marks substantial progress, experts emphasize that an even deeper decarbonization of the electricity grid is imperative if the world is to meet the stringent target of limiting global warming to below 1.5 °C. This context sets the stage for exploring innovative strategies, particularly in sectors with significant energy demands, like data centers.
Data centers, the backbone of the digital era, are voracious consumers of electricity. In response to growing sustainability concerns, leading technology corporations have committed to ambitious renewable energy goals. Microsoft, for instance, pledged to power all its data centers and facilities with 100% renewable energy that is additional and new by 2025, a target that reflects a sharp pivot from conventional grid reliance. More strikingly, the company aims to source 100% of its electricity from carbon-free resources, 24/7, by the year 2030. These commitments underscore the crucial interplay between renewable energy adoption and data center energy management strategies.
Central to this evolving landscape is the role of advanced cooling technologies in data centers, which profoundly influence energy consumption and environmental impacts. Traditional air cooling methods have long dominated, but liquid cooling approaches—specifically cold-plate, one-phase immersion, and two-phase immersion cooling—are rapidly gaining traction due to their superior thermal management efficiency. When combined with a 100% renewable energy supply, these liquid cooling methods demonstrate impressive environmental benefits.
Recent life cycle assessment (LCA) analyses reveal that operating data centers on renewable energy, coupled with liquid cooling, yields substantial reductions in GHG emissions, energy consumption, and water use compared to conventional air cooling. Specifically, one-phase and two-phase immersion cooling technologies exhibit GHG savings of over 15% and 50%, respectively, relative to air cooling. Interestingly, cold-plate cooling also outperforms immersion in some renewable energy scenarios, a nuance driven by the complex relationship between server overclocking capacity and energy overhead.
This dynamic arises because liquid cooling systems, particularly one-phase immersion, enable servers to operate at higher clock speeds—called overclocking—due to improved thermal regulation. Enhanced overclocking translates into more computational power per server, reducing the total server count and optimizing the overall power usage effectiveness (PUE). Under traditional grid scenarios, one-phase immersion slightly surpasses cold-plate cooling in GHG savings despite a higher overclocking rate in cold-plate systems. However, as the energy source shifts from grid electricity to renewable power, the throttling effect of overclocking diminishes the relative advantage of immersion cooling, enabling cold-plate cooling to exhibit lower GHG emissions due to lower server power consumption coupled with renewable energy’s lower carbon footprint.
The transition from conventional grid to renewable energy also dramatically reduces environmental burdens beyond emissions. The analysis shows up to an 85–90% decrease in GHG emissions, a 6–7% reduction in energy demand, and a striking 55–85% cut in blue water consumption, with the variations contingent upon the liquid cooling technology in use. These figures highlight how decarbonizing the power supply amplifies the environmental benefits of efficient cooling technologies, affirming the need for integrated approaches to sustainable data center design.
Water consumption is a particularly salient issue in data centers, as cooling systems often demand substantial blue water resources, which can exacerbate environmental stress in water-scarce regions. The LCA findings indicate that renewable electricity production generally entails lower water use, which, when combined with advanced liquid cooling solutions, can yield significant water savings. Two-phase immersion cooling, for instance, not only trims energy use but can reduce water consumption by half compared to air cooling, a compelling advantage in an era of growing water crises worldwide.
Interestingly, while operational efficiencies dominate environmental impact reductions, the embodied carbon and water footprints associated with server manufacturing become increasingly significant under renewable energy scenarios. This shift underscores a lifecycle perspective that extends beyond just energy use during operation, emphasizing the need for improved and detailed data on the manufacturing processes and materials used in server components. Embodied impacts, often overlooked, may emerge as critical barriers to further decarbonization unless addressed through innovative materials science and circular economy principles.
Building materials also factor into the sustainability equation, particularly regarding water impacts. Although differing cooling systems have minimal variation in embodied water impacts from building construction—largely due to the dominant role of metals and structural components—metal recyclability offers an opportunity to mitigate water usage at the end of life. Thus, careful consideration of materials selection and end-of-life strategies can enhance the overall sustainability profile of data center infrastructure.
To rigorously evaluate these multifaceted environmental factors and uncertainties, researchers employed a pedigree matrix assessment framework. This methodology offers a qualitative gauge of data quality and variability, acknowledging that quantitative uncertainty analysis was limited by the availability of standard deviation data in existing datasets. The pedigree matrix thereby serves as a roadmap for identifying critical data gaps and directing future research efforts toward more precise and comprehensive life cycle inventories.
The confluence of renewable energy integration and cutting-edge cooling technologies in data centers embodies a paradigm shift with far-reaching implications. Not only do these advancements enable significant strides toward carbon neutrality, but they also present a roadmap for the broader technology sector, where energy efficiency and sustainability increasingly intertwine. The findings illuminate the tremendous potential of combining system-level innovations in energy sourcing and thermal management, a synergy vital for realizing the vision of climate-resilient, environmentally responsible digital infrastructure.
Furthermore, these insights provide a clarion call for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to intensify collaborative efforts toward holistic decarbonization strategies. Transitioning data centers to 100% renewable energy supply is a pivotal step, but optimizing cooling technologies and addressing embodied impacts complete the picture. The path forward demands not only technological innovation but also enhanced transparency, data collection, and lifecycle thinking to ensure that progress in one dimension does not inadvertently burden another.
As the world grapples with the twin challenges of digital transformation and climate change, these developments highlight the importance of life cycle assessment as a powerful decision-making tool. By quantifying environmental trade-offs and pinpointing leverage points, LCA guides innovation that transcends incremental improvements, fostering a holistic embrace of sustainability. In this way, the quest for sustainable “cool clouds” in data centers signals a broader commitment to harmonizing technology with planetary boundaries.
Ultimately, the integration of renewable energy with advanced cooling technologies stands as a beacon of hope and a tangible demonstration that environmental stewardship and technological progress are not mutually exclusive. This convergence paves the way for a future where digital infrastructure thrives without compromising ecological integrity—a critical evolution as the digital and environmental eras increasingly intersect.
Subject of Research: Renewable energy integration and liquid cooling technologies to reduce environmental impacts in data centers.
Article Title: Using life cycle assessment to drive innovation for sustainable cool clouds.
Article References:
Alissa, H., Nick, T., Raniwala, A. et al. Using life cycle assessment to drive innovation for sustainable cool clouds. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08832-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
