ROI and TCO analysis of the first production level installation of adsorption chillers in a data center

Since mechanical chillers account for a large fraction of electricity spent on cooling, data centers are looking for ways to reduce their usage. In High Performance Computing, a popular approach is to use readily available high temperature direct liquid cooling (HT-DLC) that allows for mechanical chiller free cooling of compute components. Additionally, it provides a means to re-use their waste heat. A potential application is to use the waste heat to produce still needed cold water via adsorption refrigeration. This paper analyses the first production level installation of adsorption technology in a data center in terms of energy flows, Return of Investment (ROI), and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).