New analysis: nearly 7,000 of 8,808 data centers run outside ASHRAE's 18-27 C range. Economics drive siting, boosting cooling costs and heat risks through 2040.
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A new analysis finds that nearly 7,000 of the world’s 8,808 active data centers sit in climate zones that fall outside recommended operating conditions. Rest of World compared their locations with multi-year climate records and guidance from ASHRAE, which advises keeping server inlet air between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius for efficient performance.
It turns out the vast majority of facilities lie beyond that range. Most are in colder regions, where overheating is less acute but risks tied to humidity and condensation rise. About 600 sites—less than 10 percent of the total—operate in areas with average temperatures above 27 degrees Celsius, making cooling a constant and costly challenge. In 21 countries, every active data center is located in zones ASHRAE deems too hot.
Industry experts say climate considerations are increasingly giving way to economic, political, and infrastructure realities when choosing where to build. Data-localization rules, the expansion of cloud services and generative AI, access to electricity and water, land prices, and tax incentives are pushing companies to break ground even in places that are far from ideal. Location decisions, in short, are being steered more by policy and balance sheets than by the thermometer.
According to the International Energy Agency, data centers consumed about 415 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024—around 1.5 percent of global demand—and that figure could more than double by 2030. Against a backdrop of planetary warming, analysts warn that by 2040 extreme heat could seriously affect two thirds of the largest data centers, with particular exposure in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The trend points to an industry preparing for growth while confronting a climate that is becoming less forgiving.