Vertiv published a 10-year TCO analysis for a 3 MW facility that found waterless systems actually achieved lower overall cost despite higher energy draw, becaus

Vertiv published a 10-year TCO analysis for a 3 MW facility that found waterless systems actually achieved lower overall cost despite higher energy draw, because water treatment, legionella testing, RO filtration, and cooling tower maintenance add up fast. The PUE penalty is typically +0.1 to +0.4, so roughly 10-25% more energy for a hyperscaler currently at PUE ~1.1. Microsoft announced all new builds from late 2027 onward will use zero water for cooling via closed-loop liquid cooling, which suggests the economics have already tipped for new construction.