U-3ARC U-3ARC Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
U-3ARC Union of Associations of African Actors in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Data Center: If Refrigeration Didn’t Exist…

Over 300 refrigeration technicians participated in a webinar training session on data center cooling systems. The event took place on Saturday, March 22, 2025.


Data Center: If Refrigeration Didn’t Exist…

This training, the 40th organized by U-3ARC to equip its members, focused on the theme " Precision Systems : Data Center Cooling: " and was led by Saddam Ndawula.

For nearly two hours, attendees learned about precision cooling systems for data centers. As the refrigeration expert emphasized, these systems are specifically designed to maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions in data centers. Unlike standard cooling systems, they offer finer control to meet the unique needs of IT equipment.

Advantages of Precision Systems

  • Enhanced Thermal Management

Targeted Cooling: Precision systems deliver airflow directly to heat-generating equipment (e.g., servers, switches), eliminating "hotspots" that can lead to hardware failure.

Dynamic Adjustments: Sensors monitor temperature and humidity in real time, automatically adjusting cooling output to match load fluctuations (e.g., ±0.5°C accuracy).

Humidity Control: Maintains relative humidity between 40–60%, preventing static discharge (too dry) or condensation (too humid).

  • Energy Efficiency

Variable Speed Components: Fans, compressors, and pumps adjust speeds based on demand, reducing energy waste by 20–40% compared to fixed-speed systems.

Free Cooling Integration: Leverages external cold air or water in temperate climates to minimize compressor use (e.g., economizers in Nordic regions).

PUE Optimization: Achieves Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratios as low as 1.1–1.3, vs. 1.6+ for conventional systems.

  • 3. Extended Equipment Lifespan

Reduced Thermal Stress: Stable temperatures prevent expansion/contraction cycles that degrade circuit boards and solder joints.

Corrosion Prevention: Humidity control mitigates oxidation of copper and aluminum components.

MTBF Improvement: Increases Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) by up to 30%, lowering replacement costs.

  • 4. Scalability and Flexibility

Modular Design: Supports phased expansion (e.g., adding cooling units incrementally) without disrupting operations.

Adaptive to Workloads: Compatible with high-density racks (30+ kW per rack) and hybrid IT environments (edge computing, AI clusters).

Multi-Zone Control: Enables tailored cooling for diverse equipment (e.g., storage arrays vs. GPUs).

  • 5. Environmental and Regulatory Compliance

Low-GWP Refrigerants: Uses eco-friendly refrigerants (e.g., R-513A, ammonia) to comply with the Kigali Amendment and reduce carbon footprints.

Waste Heat Recycling: Captures waste heat for reuse in building heating or district energy systems (up to 50% efficiency gain).

  • 6. Operational Cost Savings

Lower OpEx: Energy savings alone can reduce annual cooling costs by $100,000+ for a 1 MW data center.

Reduced Downtime: Precision systems cut cooling-related outages by 90%, preserving revenue (e.g., $5,600/minute for financial data centers).

Why It Matters:
Cooling plays a vital role in telecommunications. Without cooling systems, there would be:

  • No internet,
  • No phones,
  • No airplane flights,
  • No rocket launches,
  • No satellites,
  • No television,
  • No social media (WhatsApp, Meta, Instagram, LinkedIn…)


Precision cooling is not just a technical necessity—it is the backbone of modern connectivity and technological advancement.