How much of data center energy goes to cooling?
HVAC accounts for 25 to 40% of total data center energy spend, and the Uptime Institute reports 0.56 extra units of energy for cooling, power, lighting, and water for every unit used by IT equipment.
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The State of Data Centers 2026
The State of Data Centers 2026
U.S. data center electricity use is projected to double by 2030, largely driven by AI, and HVAC already takes 25 to 40% of energy spend. Cooling every hall for worst-case load is getting expensive. This report shows how thermal sensing matches cooling to actual demand instead of assumed demand, for a 20 to 30% improvement in energy efficiency.
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butlr
Research report
The State of Data Centers 2026
Sense Everyone. See No One.The report at a glance
2x
projected growth in U.S. data center electricity use by 2030
25 to 40%
of data center energy spend goes to HVAC
20 to 30%
energy efficiency gain from matching cooling to demand
Inside the report
- Why worst-case cooling no longer fits AI workloads
- How thermal sensing gives a real-time view by rack and zone
- Where sensing fits in a broader efficiency strategy
Common questions
How can data centers cut cooling costs?
By matching cooling to actual demand rather than worst-case load. Butlr research estimates a 20 to 30% improvement in energy efficiency from this approach.