Vertiv™ Liebert® EFC offers hyperscale and colocation customers the ability to easily change operating modes to eliminate water waste and achieve maximum efficiency
Vertiv, (NYSE: VRT), a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, today introduced a major expansion to its thermal management product portfolio with the introduction of the latest generation free cooling unit Vertiv™ Liebert® EFC with low GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerant. The solution is designed to meet rigorous environmental standards for the data center industry, including colocation and cloud services, and is now available in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with capacities ranging from 150 to 450 kW.
Vertiv Liebert EFC brings together, in a single unit, the functionality of indirect air-to-air heat exchange and the principles of evaporative cooling. The innovative patented polymer heat exchanger and the new low GWP inverter compressor technology significantly improve annual efficiency by up to 19% compared to previous technologies, allowing a pPUE (partial Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.05.
One of the main benefits of Liebert® EFC is its high flexibility. Based on site-specific conditions, a 'live toggling' control functionality allows users to seamlessly and safely reduce the use of critical resources such as energy or water via software controls, to take advantage of free cooling mode. This flexibility allows data center managers to reduce climate impact while enabling continuous cooling, regardless of site-specific resources. Models are available with direct expansion (DX) back-up with a remote condenser, capable of providing full cooling capacity without any water consumption, offering total water independence without compromising reliability.
“As companies prioritize sustainability strategies, their customers are increasingly looking for innovative cooling solutions that reduce resource consumption, while offering operational flexibility and resilience,” said Sam Bainborough, vice president, thermal Business EMEA at Vertiv. “Liebert EFC, with a revolutionary and patented technology, responds to these needs with a flexible system that offers a completely new experience to the customer, maximizing the time of use of free cooling and exploiting the natural evaporation potential”.
The new Liebert EFC complies with current global regulations and restrictions (EU Regulation 2024/573 on fluid gases and IPCC AR4), offering a turnkey solution designed for future scalability, ease of maintenance and durability. The polymer-based design offers better corrosion resistance and allows for a greater variety of water quality during operation than an aluminum heat exchanger. The core of this cutting-edge solution is Vertiv™ Liebert® iCOM™ and their control algorithms, which manage automatic transitions between the most suitable operating modes, allowing the use of the desired cooling source. The controls also enable continuous coordination of the units, allowing them to function as a unified system, improving cooling continuity and reliability without the need for an additional plant management system.
