Market Trends of Thailand Data Center Cooling Industry
Liquid-based Cooling is the Fastest Growing Segment of the Market
- Although Thailand has a hot climate, it has varying humidity levels. Despite this potential data center cooling risk, Thailand is increasing its investment in digital infrastructure. The rise of cloud computing and the increased use of digital services in the country are driving demand for data centers.
- Data centers in Thailand typically require special cooling techniques to maintain optimal temperatures for servers and other equipment. The standard refrigeration technologies in Thailand include direct expansion (DX) or chemical-based refrigeration technology and water chiller type.
- Liquid cooling takes advantage of the superior heat transfer properties of water or other liquids to support efficient and cost-effective cooling of high-density racks, up to 3,000 times more effective than using air. Long proven in mainframe and gaming applications, liquid cooling is increasingly being used to protect rack servers in data centers across the region.
- Direct liquid cooling (DLC) solutions consistently deliver impressive partial power usage effectiveness (PUE) values, typically ranging from 1.02 to 1.03. This outperformance, albeit marginal, places them ahead of even the most efficient air cooling systems by low single-digit percentages. However, it is important to note that the energy efficiency gains achieved by DLC systems are not primarily attributable to improvements in PUE metrics.
- Traditional servers are equipped with fans that draw power from the rack itself, and this power consumption is factored into the IT power section of the PUE calculation. These fans are integral to the data center payload and are responsible for maintaining proper cooling and airflow within the server infrastructure. As such, their energy usage contributes significantly to the overall power consumption within the data center, but it is not reflected in the PUE value, which focuses primarily on the efficiency of the facility's infrastructure.
Understand The Key Trends Shaping This Market
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The IT Segment is Expected to Witness the Highest Growth
- The Thai government is actively pursuing its vision of transforming Thailand into "ASEAN's Digital Hub." This initiative includes the development of large data centers that adhere to international standards. Recognizing the importance of data security and high standards, these data centers will play a pivotal role in storing big data. Furthermore, the government emphasizes the need for human resource development, focusing on expertise in electrical engineering and IT. Given Thailand's current potential and readiness, there is a strong confidence that the nation can foster regional digital business growth, drawing parallels to the successes of Singapore and Indonesia.
- The Thai government is actively enhancing its digital infrastructure. Initiatives include expanding high-speed internet access to villages nationwide, offering free Wi-Fi at 50,000 locations through the "Smart Sign On" policy, and extending services to non-formal schools, border patrol police schools, and digital community centers. Additionally, the government has doubled international bandwidth to cater to its burgeoning economic activities and established a Digital Thailand Infrastructure Fund. These initiatives are poised to enlarge the addressable market in the future.
- The Board of Investment (BoI) is accelerating its efforts to boost investments in data centers and cloud services in Thailand, aligning with global trends and the government's push for digital technology. The BoI highlighted that major tech firms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft, are keen on investing in Thailand, drawn by the government's transparent support for data center development and enticing investment incentives. Recently, the board greenlit 37 investment proposals, encompassing the establishment of data centers and related cloud services, with a combined investment value of THB 98.6 billion (USD 2.66 billion).
