Wangda Zuo co-authors textbook chapter on sustainable data center cooling
Sept 1, 2026
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Wangda Zuo, professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, has co-authored a new book chapter examining how data centers can use outdoor environmental conditions to reduce mechanical cooling and associated energy use.
The chapter, “Free Cooling in Data Centers: Principles, Technologies, and Applications,” was published in Advances in Heat Transfer. It provides an overview of free cooling technologies and their applications in data centers, where cooling systems are needed to manage the heat generated by computing equipment.
Free cooling uses favorable outdoor conditions, such as cool air or water temperatures, to reduce the amount of mechanical refrigeration needed to maintain appropriate temperatures inside a data center. By relying more heavily on available environmental conditions when possible, these systems can reduce energy consumption associated with cooling.
The research comes as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and other computing-intensive technologies drives increased demand for data centers and raises concerns about their energy and infrastructure impacts. Zuo’s work in this chapter builds on his previous research, which has included developing software that analyzes real-time climate and economic data to optimize data center cooling.
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Wangda Zuo, professor of architectural engineering, poses for a headshot. Credit: College of Engineering directory.
