The Top 10 Data Center Stories for July 2022

The growing pains for data center development in Northern Virginia and Dublin were the hot stories with Data Center Frontier readers through the sweltering weather in July. Our look at a  prominent investor’s call to short data center stocks was the month’s top reader favorite.

Here are the 10 most popular stories on Data Center Frontier in July 2022, in order of article views:

• The Big Short and The Data Center Sector: What History Tells Us The data center industry has been buzzing about investor Jim Chanos’ prediction that public data center companies are headed for a selloff. Here’s a look at the history of high-profile investors who have urged investors to sell or short the data center sector.
• Loudoun County Prepares New Rules for Where Data Centers Should Be Built: Loudoun County, the home of Data Center Alley, is updating its guidelines for where data centers should be built and what they should look like, and wants industry feedback prior to deciding on new rules in September.
• Ashburn Power Crunch May Cause Delays in Data Center Construction: Dominion Energy has begun telling data center companies that power for some new facilities in Ashburn, Virginia will be delayed, perhaps for years. That could slow or halt to development in Ashburn, the most active market for cloud computing infrastructure.
• Why Ashburn is the Hub of Northern Virginia’s Digital Economy: Proximity to the Internet intersection in Ashburn has been the driving force behind the growth of “Data Center Alley.” We continue our special report article series with a look the Northern Virginia market’s history, economic impact, and its promising future.
• Investors Are Warming Up to Liquid Cooling A $35 million funding for Immersion cooling specialist Iceotope Technologies illustrates growing investor confidence in the future of immersion cooling, which appears poised to move beyond its historic niches in high-performance computing (HPC) and cryptocurrency.
• Microsoft and Google Invest in Blockchain Software to Make Clouds Greener: Microsoft and Google are investing in FlexiDAO, a carbon accounting platform that uses blockchain technology to provide more detailed energy tracking, making it easier for these cloud operators to meet their goal of running carbon-free around the clock.
• Microsoft Taps UPS Batteries to Help Add Wind Power to Ireland’s Grid: Microsoft data centers will soon begin sharing energy from their UPS battery storage systems with Ireland’s power grid, part of a growing movement for data centers to collaborate more closely with the utility industry.
• Power Crunch: Dublin Grapples With Cloud Growth, Utility Constraints: As cloud computing grows faster than local utility grids, strategic data center markets are facing power constraints that pose a major challenge to the long-term growth of the Internet. Here’s a closer look at how the Dublin market is managing the challenges of growth.
• Understanding the Physics of Airflow in High Density Environments: To understand precision cooling for IT equipment, you must first grasp the physics of airflow in high density data center environments, Julius Neudorfer reviews the critical details in airflow physics in article featuring TechnoGuard.
• Containment Strategies in High Density Data Centers: One of the most asked questions and “hotly” debated answers to the Cold Aisle vs Hot Aisle containment which is better question are: Cold, Hot or the classic “it depends.” Learn about design considerations for hot and cold aisle containment.

Education is part of our mission at Data Center Frontier. In our Voices of the Industry feature, we share the experience of data center executives on the front lines of innovation. Here’s a look at the most popular Voices columns for DCF readers last month:

• The State of Data Center Sustainability (Advanced Energy) As the push towards sustainability gathers pace, Brian Korn, Vice President of Data Center Computing for Advanced Energy, explores environmental trends for data centers of the future.
• The Semiconductor Roadmap Embraces Innovative Thermal Management Technologies (JetCool): Paul Hofemann of JetCool, outlines the semiconductor roadmap progression and explores thermal challenges that the industry must address.
• ESG – The Unanticipated Roadmap to ROI (Opus Interactive): By using cloud services that have lower energy consumption, you’re not only helping the environment but also reducing your carbon footprint. Shannon Hulbert, CEO of Opus Interactive, explores how ESG initiatives can be good for the planet and your bottom line.

Be sure to check out all of our Voices columns, including insights from Vertiv and BSC Data Center Operations.

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