The climate in Southeast Asia varies depending on the specific region and time of year. Generally, the region has a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity throughout the year especially in April in which, in some places, afternoon temperatures can reach 40°C (104°F).
Generally, the countries in Southeast Asia that have the highest average temperatures are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. In these countries, temperatures can often exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round, with the hottest months typically being April and May.
In some areas, such as Thailand’s northeastern region, temperatures can even exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the hottest months. On April 28, 2016, it has even recorded the hottest temperature on record topping out at 112.3 degrees Fahrenheit (44.6 degrees Celsius), according to Christopher Christopher Burt, a weather historian.
Countries like Thailand may have high temperatures, but it also has varying levels of humidity, which can make it feel even hotter. However, despite this possible risk for data center cooling, Thailand has been increasingly investing in its digital infrastructure and has seen a growing demand for data centers due to the rise of cloud computing and the increasing use of digital services in the country.
Common Cooling Technology Used in Thailand
In Thailand, data centers typically require specialized cooling technology to maintain optimal temperatures for the servers and other equipment.
According to Charlie Chairatanatrai, a General Manager in an international data center operator in Thailand, the common cooling technologies have been either the Direct Expansion (DX) or chemical-based and the Water Chiller type.
Direct expansion, also known as DX cooling, leverages the principles of thermodynamics to transfer heat from one area to another. By using a refrigerant as the medium by which heat is absorbed and extracted from one area and released in another,
Water chillers, on the other hand, can be air-cooled or water-cooled. They differ in how they reject heat into the environment.
“For smaller DC’s, DX cooling is more economical and easier to maintain. While for larger ones, a chiller plant can be utilized due to its economy of scale.” said Chairatanatrai.
The choice of cooling technology for a data center in Thailand depends on factors such as the size of the facility, the type of equipment being used, and the climate in the region. Data center operators may choose to use a combination of different cooling technologies to achieve the best performance and efficiency.
Liquid Cooling
Chairatanatrai said that in Thailand, there is a data center for supercomputers which utilize this liquid cooling technology.
Liquid cooling systems use water or other liquids to directly cool the servers and other equipment in a data center. These systems can be more efficient than air-based cooling systems, but they require specialized equipment and maintenance.
“Liquid cooling could be used for those high performance super computers or high density/powered racks. Since most customers in data centers use the average of 2-4kW per rack, traditional cooling methods would be sufficient.” said Chairatanatrai.
Although liquid cooling systems can be more efficient than air-based cooling systems, according to Chairatanatrai, there haven’t such systems implemented in any Thai DC’s at this moment.
Cooling Challenges
Data centers in countries with hot climates, like Thailand, face unique challenges compared to those in cooler climates.
Chairatanatrai noted that from the domestic and geographical perspectives, the challenge that data centers in Thailand face is environmental heat. In addition, the electricity tariff increase is also something that one must consider with regards to operational adjustment (temperature and humidity) and, eventually, the operations expense/cost.
Thailand is booming in the data center industry and is expected to witness investments of USD 1.33 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 9.79% from 2022-2028. With more efficient technologies coming into data centers, cooling solutions will be among the main considerations as it can impact cost and efficiency in the long run.