Cooling is a hot topic in the data center industry. Few companies have been more focused on cooling than Aligned Data Centers, which builds hyperscale facilities for some of the world's leading players in cloud computing and AI.

Our guest today is Michael Welch, the Chef Technology Officer at Aligned, who discusses how Aligned is updating its products and designs for the rising densities in AI workloads, and why an advanced cooling lab is an important part of the company’s strategy.

Data Center Richness host Rich Miller and Michael Welch discuss the following topics:

00:00 - Intro: Cooling is a Hot Topic

00:52 - Meet Michael Welch and an overview of Aligned Data Centers

03:50 - The State of Data Center Cooling

08:00 - The Delta Cubed and Delta Flow systems

11:00 - Hybrid Environments: Air Cooling and Liquid Cooling, Working Together

16:42 - The Aligned Advanced Cooling Lab

20:33 - How Higher Density Can Enabl;e Server Waste Heat Reuse

23:50 - On-Site Power and the Future of Energy

26:00 - The Improving Economics of Fuel Calls and BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems)

28:08 - How Aligned Optimizes its Supply Chain

31:25 - The Supply Chain in the Gigawatt Era

35:05 - The Road Ahead: Designing for Bigger, Denser Data Centers

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Aligned Data Centers
https://aligneddc.com/

Inside Aligned's Advanced Cooling Lab
https://youtu.be/-aq_uVdZ6eA?si=Q4wTNvTYlLNA4lfy

Follow Michael Welch on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-welch-0a7b092b/

Follow Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

A Closer Look at Two-Phase Liquid Cooling
https://youtu.be/w_Us94JgYzc

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030
https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Large global investors have played a major role in the AI boom, providing funding for the construction of data centers and network infrastructure.

Today we look at data centers through the perspective of investors, How do large private investors think about data centers as an asset class? What trends do they consider in their investment strategies? Which markets are the most attractive? And how do they think about opportunity and risk in a fast-moving market?

Rich Miller's guest today is Michael Hochanadel, the Managing Director and Head of Digital Assets at Harrison Street. Michael has been an investor in the sector for 20 years, and shares his insights about how investors assess different types of properties and business models, and what the next phase of AI-powered growth might look like.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - The Investor Perspective on the Data Center Sector

01:37 - Introduction to Michael and his career

03:25 - Background on Harrison Street

07:15 - The Themes Guiding Harrison Street’s Data Center Strategy

12:30 - Harrison Street’s digital infrastructure investments - PowerHouse, 1547, Oppidan and Summit IG

15:40 - How network architecture creates investment opportunities

17:45 - The state of the Enterprise data center market. What’s next?

21:30 - AI and Infrastructure: How will the rise of inference shape th enetwork?

27:00 - AI use cases could be “limitless.” Michael shares some early winners.

30:15 - Assessing investment risk in a rapidly evolving AI landscape

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

On the Web:
Data Center Richness https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Michael Hochanadel Bio
https://harrisonst.com/people/michael-hochanadel/

Michael on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hochanadel-767380/

Harrison Street
https://harrisonst.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

What's Next for Data Center Real Estate?
https://youtu.be/H2FFJfm5wug?si=RI-9sGUGGbzmE4qh

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030
https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI
https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk?si=lkeyM8AiseP1v99t

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice or any other professional advice. Please consult with a professional for specific advice tailored to your situation.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Chris Crosby has deep insights on essential the role of data centers in an AI-powered future. Crosby is the CEO of Compass Datacenters, which builds some of the world’s largest data center campuses.

In this week's Data Center Richness episode, host Rich Miller talks with Crosby about how Compass has embraced new approaches to power and the supply chain, as well as sustainable construction and backup power. Crosby also shares about Compass' adoption of HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil), a lower-emissions diesel fuel, and the company's current project to convert the former Sears Headquarters near Chicago into a massive data center campus.

But for Crosby, the success at Compass all comes down to company culture and building great teams.

Highlights:

00:00 - Overview from host Rich Miller

02:00 - The role of digital infrastructure in an AI-powered world

03:30 - Solving power constraints impacting AI growth

07:45 - Load flexibility as a Pathway to Power

11:15 - The role of capital in fixing the grid

15:00 - How to address utility power queues

17:45 - How do data centers make flexibility work?

20:25 - Rethinking the data center supply chain

23:15 - The power of company culture in building great teams

27:45 - Bringing new talent into the data center industry

30:05 - How Compass thinks about sustainability

32:15 - Leading the way on adoption of HVO (low-emission generator fuel)

34:30 - Converting the Sears HQ campus into a huge data center

37:00 - The role of data center retrofits and adaptive reuse

38:25 - Data centers and community relations

41:00 - Data centers and the opportunity ahead

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:

On the Web: Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Compass Datacenters
https://www.compassdatacenters.com/

Compass Culture: Core Convictions
https://www.compassdatacenters.com/about/

Sears HQ to Become a Data Center https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/hyperscale/article/55089460/suburban-chicago-welcomes-compass-datacenters-major-hyperscale-development-on-legacy-sears-hq-site

Chris Crosby on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-crosby-3542b71/

RELATED VIDEO:

Flexibility: The Key to Unlocking More Data Center Power
https://youtu.be/D6-1QxRRxoA?si=0Zf8leFTQJ28ZlTg

How Will Data Centers Be Different in 2030
https://youtu.be/IUO8fUWNoX8?si=QjhHEBlvx3fMR0Z-

Verrus is Rethinking the Data Center
https://youtu.be/x9OoLh8UEoc?si=mINiJlqSCMmX1ejJ

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx