Vaisala urges system-level monitoring for AI data centres

Vaisala says AI-driven growth in data centres is changing environmental monitoring requirements, with operators needing a system-level approach as facilities add more measurement points.

Rising AI workloads are increasing computing density in data centres, generating more heat and increasing pressure on operators to expand capacity quickly. Vaisala says this makes accurate environmental measurement more important across data halls, technical spaces, support areas and other critical locations.

As facilities grow, simply installing more sensors will not be enough, the company argues. Operators also need to assess whether their measurement infrastructure can scale, and whether installation, commissioning, integration and maintenance can be managed without adding operational complexity.

Guidance from Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water recommends using effective sensors that communicate with supply systems through a building management system. The department also identifies monitoring and measurement as important to improving data centre energy performance.

System approach

Anu Kätkä, Product Line Manager for HVAC and Critical Buildings at Vaisala, said: "AI infrastructure growth is changing how operators approach environmental monitoring. AI is accelerating data centre growth at a pace that is changing how supporting infrastructure is deployed, managed and scaled.

"When a facility contains dozens or hundreds of measurement points, environmental monitoring can no longer be managed one sensor at a time. Operators need a system-level approach that can be commissioned efficiently, maintained without disrupting operations, and scaled consistently as capacity expands."

According to Vaisala, the shift has three main operational effects. First, accurate measurement helps operators determine whether cooling is reaching the areas where it is needed, especially as higher computing densities create shifting thermal conditions across a facility.

Second, cooling accounts for a significant share of data centre infrastructure energy consumption, and the Australian Government has identified cooling system performance as a factor affecting overall energy use and emissions.

Third, adding sensors without considering how they will be commissioned, integrated and maintained can increase complexity as facilities expand, leaving operators to manage a growing patchwork of devices over the life of a site.

Operational pressure

Operators therefore need to think beyond the number of measurement points being installed. They must also plan how those measurements will be managed over time, particularly as expansion adds new halls, support areas and technical spaces.

Vaisala says a system-level model brings individual measurement points into a coordinated network, simplifying commissioning and providing central visibility of environmental conditions. It adds that standardised configurations and connections to building management systems can help operators expand monitoring without creating unnecessary complexity.

Developments in measurement technology are supporting that model. Systems that connect multiple measurement points through a common interface allow environmental monitoring to be managed as part of wider facility infrastructure rather than as a collection of separate devices.

The issue sits within a broader Australian debate over how to accommodate data centre growth while limiting environmental effects. Energy and water use remain central concerns, but facility-level efficiency is also a major part of the discussion as operators seek to keep sites reliable while demand for AI infrastructure rises.

Vaisala says environmental measurement should be treated as part of planning and maintaining reliable, efficient data centre infrastructure, rather than as a narrow technical consideration. "More efficient data centre operations begin with accurate information about environmental conditions throughout the facility."

The priority, it says, should be accurate measurements, consistent deployment, simpler maintenance and infrastructure that can expand with the facility.