STULZ joins the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance as its latest member

STULZ joins the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance as its latest member

International technology vendor STULZ pledges its expertise to reshape the future of data center air-conditioning for sustainable IT infrastructure

Hamburg, Germany, September 2021 – The Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA) is proud to announce a new partnership with STULZ GmbH, one of the world’s leaders in delivering energy-efficient temperature and humidity management technology solutions. STULZ has 21 subsidiaries and 11 production sites across Europe, India, China, and North and South America, bringing a wealth of expertise in cooling systems for digital infrastructure that will significantly contribute to the advancement of SDIA’s initiatives.

Max Schulze, SDIA’s Executive Chairman, is delighted to welcome STULZ to the Alliance. “STULZ is a company globally renowned for their depth of experience in cooling technologies for mission-critical environments, developing its first units with free cooling in the 1970s. Their knowledge of direct and indirect free cooling technology and commitment to energy efficiency is invaluable.” Schulze further affirmed the potential positive impact: “Together our focus on solutions for leaner cooler systems that consume less energy presents greater opportunities for the reuse of excess heat within data centers.”

Greening the global digital economy

Established in 2019, SDIA is a nonprofit network of more than 65 organizations working to catalyze the transition to sustainable digital infrastructure. It aligns all actors of the digital ecosystem – from energy supply and data centers, to fiber-optic networks and software – on the mission of fostering a sustainable digital economy and realizing its Roadmap to Sustainable Digital Infrastructure by 2030. “We aim to promote an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable digital economy,” Schulze stressed, adding: “At the same time, we highlight the growth of the global digital infrastructure sector, which is on par with the aviation industry when it comes to carbon emissions.”

“The rise in data consumption is being intensified by IoT [Internet of things] applications and real-time AI [artificial intelligence] analytics as computing expands outside the data center to the edge,” said Norbert Wenk, Head of Global Product Management at STULZ. “The demand for digital infrastructure shows no signs of slowing down. A counterbalance to this rapid increase in energy use is imperative. Technologies such as free cooling and waste heat utilization have the potential to yield significant savings. We need to start implementing concepts for more sustainable data centers today to meet the needs of tomorrow.”

Wenk also highlighted the importance of STULZ becoming an SDIA member. “We have a unique opportunity to connect and join forces with like-minded companies and partners that share our vision and values,” he said. “The SDIA provides a platform to collaboratively develop, proof, and implement validated business models to deliver the most effective solutions for energy efficiency, heat reuse, and reducing emissions. For example, the sector will have to confront the issue of chemical refrigerants. We are currently analyzing possibilities of a data center cooling system that operates with a natural refrigerant or without any refrigerant. The accumulative technical expertise and innovations of SDIA members will shift the parameters, accelerating sustainable solutions.”

About SDIA

Established in 2019 and based in Hamburg, Germany, the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance e.V. (SDIA) is a nonprofit network of more than 65 members and partners working to catalyze the transition to a sustainable digital economy. The SDIA brings together stakeholders from across industries and fields, both public and private, to realize its Roadmap to Sustainable Digital Infrastructure by 2030. It is meant to offer a holistic, systems-thinking approach to solving the challenges facing ICT sustainability, ranging from energy supply and data centers, to fiber-optic networks and software.

About STULZ GmbH

Since it was founded in 1947, the STULZ company has evolved into one of the world’s leading system suppliers of air-conditioning technology. With the manufacture of precision air-conditioning units and chillers, the sale of air-conditioning and humidification systems and service and object management, this division of the STULZ Group achieved a turnover of around 480 million euros in 2019. Since 1974 the group has seen continual international expansion of its air-conditioning technology business, specializing in air-conditioning for data centers and telecommunications installations. STULZ employs 2,400 workers at 11 production sites (two in Germany, the U.S. and in China, one in Italy, the UK, Spain, Brazil and India), and 21 sales companies (in Germany, France, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, New Zealand, Poland, Brazil, Spain, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Australia, and the U.S.). The company also co-operates with sales and service partners in over 140 other countries, and therefore boasts an international network of air-conditioning specialists. The STULZ Group employs around 7,200 people worldwide, with current annual sales of around 1.3 billion euros.

For more information, please contact:

Michael  J.  Oghia,  Director  of  Communications  &  External  Relations,  Sustainable  Digital Infrastructure Alliance e.V. Email: [email protected]