Powering the Future of Data Centers with AI-Driven Energy and Cooling Solutions

Stephen Liang, Chief Technology Officer, and EVP Infrastructure & Solutions, Vertiv

With the rapid expansion of data center investments across the Middle East, fuelled by the region’s abundant and affordable power resources, Technology Integrator spoke with Stephen Liang, Vertiv’s CTO, to explore the company’s latest innovations in cooling and power solutions. These advancements are designed to meet the demands of high-density data centers while prioritizing energy efficiency, positioning Vertiv at the forefront of data center innovation and infrastructure development in the region.

He also delved into Vertiv’s strategic collaborations with industry giants like NVIDIA and other leading chipmakers, which are instrumental in ensuring data centers are future-ready for the growing demands of AI applications. Liang emphasized how Vertiv’s global R&D network drives innovation, enabling the company to develop tailored solutions that address the unique needs of Middle Eastern markets.

As the Chief Technology Officer, could you share insights into how you’re utilizing AI within your organization?

AI is both a dynamic frontier and an evolution of established methodologies. In many respects, it’s a modern enhancement of time-tested techniques. For instance, we’ve long used large-scale data models for data mining and predictive maintenance and leveraged sophisticated machine learning algorithms to support our design processes and simulations, especially for analyzing power and cooling flows. Today, AI amplifies these capabilities, accelerating the precision, speed, and depth of learning and analysis. Looking forward, we’re pushing the envelope in assisted programming and design, exploring AI’s potential to shape Vertiv’s future innovations.

At its core, AI unifies a suite of advanced technologies under one framework, driven by high-performance computing that enables significantly faster, more complex task execution. Where we once relied on human productivity alone, we now have computers driving transformations at an unprecedented scale, redefining workflows and drastically shortening innovation cycles. While human capabilities eventually plateau, AI empowers our teams to reach new productivity heights, creating products and solutions that closely align with customer needs. This is AI’s transformational power in action.

How is Vertiv leveraging its presence in the Middle East and its partnerships with hyperscalers and chip manufacturers to address the growing demands on data centers driven by AI advancements?

When engaging with data center operators worldwide, one of their most pressing challenges is ensuring uninterrupted and reliable power. The Middle East, with its robust, cost-efficient power sources, has become a strategic hub for data center growth, particularly those focused on AI applications. Vertiv is well-positioned to support this expansion, with deep roots in the region, including a state-of-the-art production facility in Ras Al-Khaimah, and longstanding regional partnerships that enable us to support virtually any data center project.

Additionally, our strategic collaborations with hyperscalers and major chipmakers such as NVIDIA place us at the forefront of data center evolution. As AI technology advances and the demand for data centers intensifies, we’re helping client’s infrastructures be future-ready. Today, data center planning requires a proactive, visionary approach; after years of plateauing demand, AI has reignited the industry, driving a resurgence in infrastructure innovation.

By collaborating with leading technology providers and data center operators, Vertiv ensures rapid deployment of cutting-edge technologies with resilient, scalable infrastructure. We’re laying the foundation for the next wave of AI-driven advancements and solidifying the region’s place in this transformative landscape.

How has Vertiv’s long-standing partnership with NVIDIA, especially in AI research, shaped its approach to supporting cutting-edge technology deployment?

Our partnership with NVIDIA has been pivotal, particularly in advancing critical digital infrastructure to accelerate AI adoption.  Through power and cooling initiatives with NVIDIA, Vertiv has provided extensive expertise to show our ability to support global deployments at scale while educating and empowering the wider AI ecosystem.

Our unique blend of technical depth and global presence has established Vertiv as a trusted partner to industry giants who count on us for seamless, efficient deployment of their most advanced technologies.

How do you balance the increasing demand for computing power with the need for energy efficiency?

AI is often labelled as “energy-intensive,” but it’s more accurate to view it as a technology that enables higher productivity per kilowatt. Measured in Floating Point Operations Per Second (FLOPS) or Million Instructions Per Second (MIPS), today’s computers achieve exponentially higher outputs for the same energy input. While modern Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) indeed draw more power, their processing capabilities have advanced even faster, delivering greater efficiency in computational tasks.

Traditionally, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) has gauged efficiency by comparing power usage in compute tasks with total facility power. But PUE alone doesn’t fully capture the extraordinary gains in processing power achieved per energy unit. If we’d limited ourselves to Central Processing Unit (CPU) level performance, we’d save energy, but at the cost of breakthrough advancements in fields like medicine, scientific research, and sustainable energy solutions.

The tech industry is innovating vigorously for sustainability. UPS systems, which were once only 80% efficient, now achieve up to 98% or higher, while some cooling systems’ PUE has improved from 3-4 to approximately 1.2. This evolution underscores our commitment to balancing demand with sustainable infrastructure, driving positive impact even as we scale for a data-driven future.

How is Vertiv adapting its power and cooling solutions to meet the growing demand for higher power densities in data centers, especially with the integration of AI technologies, and what role do renewable energy sources play in this evolution?

Vertiv is actively partnering with leading tech developers to craft advanced cooling and power solutions that accommodate surging power densities in data centers. Just a few years ago, most data centers operated at about 10 kilowatts per cabinet. Today, some AI-focused hardware demands up to 40 kilowatts, and projections now reach from 80 to 150 kilowatts per rack. This rapid rise in power density requires pioneering approaches to power management and cooling, and Vertiv is spearheading this evolution from the grid down to the chip level.

AI workloads create fluctuating power demands that can impact grid stability. To address this, Vertiv collaborates with chip manufacturers and hyperscalers to develop technologies that stabilize power requirements while helping to maintain grid reliability. Our adaptive energy storage systems smooth out power fluctuations and help to seamlessly integrate renewables like wind and solar into the grid, promoting more efficient data center operations.

With a flexible, globally tailored approach to cooling and power, Vertiv ensures mission-critical infrastructure that supports a wide array of high-performance applications globally. This combination of advanced technology and regional customization positions Vertiv as a leader in future-ready data center solutions.

6. How is Vertiv empowering its global R&D network and partnerships to drive innovation in data center technology?

It’s an incredibly exciting era for Vertiv and the data center industry. Having witnessed several transformative waves, I believe we’re on the cusp of another pivotal shift. Vertiv’s commitment to cutting-edge R&D has never been stronger, with strategic partnerships at an all-time high positioning us alongside industry trailblazers. Major tech companies now look to Vertiv to create the future of data centers, engaging with top research institutions to advance capabilities at the frontier of the industry.

Vertiv’s extensive, strategically positioned R&D network allows us to swiftly adapt to evolving market needs, delivering region-specific solutions that set global standards. Through this expansive innovation ecosystem, we’re advancing the future of data centers and meeting the complex demands of the AI era with resilience and ingenuity.