UL Solutions has introduced a new suite of testing and certification services designed to support the performance, safety, and energy efficiency of data centres, particularly those managing workloads related to artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.
The global safety science leader’s latest offering focuses on immersion cooling fluids—specialised liquids used to cool IT equipment by submerging them directly into non-conductive fluid. This approach offers improved heat dissipation and reduced energy use compared to traditional air cooling methods, addressing the rising energy demands and thermal management challenges in modern data centre operations.
“As AI accelerates data processing and energy use, fluid cooling has become central to protecting critical systems while maintaining efficiency and reliability,” said Sherry He, vice president and general manager of Consumer, Medical and Information Technologies at UL Solutions.
To achieve certification, immersion cooling fluids must comply with UL 2417, the Outline of Investigation for Immersion Cooling Fluids for ICT Equipment. The standard evaluates parameters such as autoignition temperature, flash point, and dielectric breakdown voltage.
The launch comes amid rising concern over energy consumption in data centres. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centres consumed around 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023, with projections suggesting that could rise to between 6.7% and 12% by 2030. Immersion cooling is among the innovations being deployed to mitigate this impact.
UL Solutions has also collaborated with industry stakeholders through the Open Compute Project and other initiatives, aiming to accelerate the deployment of next-generation cooling systems while ensuring safety compliance.
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