The growth of artificial intelligence, high-density computing, and the demand for new digital infrastructure is rapidly transforming the design and operation of data centers. In this context, climate control, energy efficiency, resilience, and the adoption of best technical practices have become key factors for the future of the sector.

We spoke with Laura Sánchez, the new president of the ASHRAE Spain Chapter, about the challenges facing the HVAC&R industry, the role of data centers within the association’s agenda, and the importance of transferring technical knowledge among researchers, engineers, manufacturers, operators, and government agencies.

1. You have just assumed the presidency of the ASHRAE Spain Chapter for the 2026–2028 term. What will be the main areas of focus during this new term?

Our mandate will be based primarily on four main pillars.

The first will be to strengthen the transfer of knowledge between research, industry, and professionals, because I firmly believe that sharing experiences and engaging in discussions based on concrete data is one of the best ways to develop technical expertise.

Second, we want to promote an increasingly comprehensive approach to buildings and facilities, where energy efficiency, sustainability, health, resilience, air and water quality, digitalization, and operations are all integrated from the design phase onward.

We also want to strengthen ASHRAE Spain’s position as a technical leader in sectors undergoing major transformation, such as data centers and new cooling technologies.

And, of course, we will continue to strengthen our community by bringing ASHRAE closer to more engineers, manufacturers, operators, companies, universities, and young professionals.

Ultimately, we want ASHRAE to be that meeting place where knowledge is shared, debated, and ultimately transformed into standards.

 

2. Data centers are listed as one of the strategic priorities of the ASHRAE Spain Chapter. Why is this sector gaining so much prominence within the HVAC&R field?

Because it's probably one of the sectors where we're seeing engineering change the fastest.

Artificial intelligence, increased computing power, and new power densities are dramatically increasing thermal management requirements. And that makes air conditioning and cooling an absolutely critical part of the infrastructure.

In a data center, we don't provide climate control for people; we provide it for equipment that must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with extremely high demands for service continuity, efficiency, and resilience.

In addition, we are seeing how operating temperatures are changing, new cooling architectures are emerging, and issues such as energy availability, water use, heat recovery, and continuous monitoring are coming into play.

This sector is particularly interesting for ASHRAE because it encompasses virtually all of the major challenges we are currently facing: energy efficiency, digitalization, resilience, sustainability, and technological innovation.

 

3. Artificial intelligence and high-density computing are placing greater thermal demands on digital infrastructure. How is this changing the design of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and cooling systems?

The approach to thermal management is undergoing a major shift.

For many years, the increase in thermal load could be addressed primarily by increasing the capacity of traditional air-cooling systems. But as we pack more and more computing power into less space—especially with the widespread integration of GPUs—there comes a point where moving more air is no longer the most efficient solution.

That is why we are seeing a shift toward hybrid systems and liquid cooling technologies, which are capable of removing much more heat in a smaller volume.

This also requires us to view the design as a complete system. We are no longer talking solely about the air-handling unit. We are talking about the server, the cold plate, the hydraulic circuits, the CDU, the supply and return temperatures, the fluid quality, redundancy, control, and finally, the way we dissipate or even reuse that heat.

And I think this change is very interesting because it forces us to do exactly what we at ASHRAE have always advocated : talk less about individual units and much more about systems.

 

4. There is increasing talk of liquid cooling, advanced monitoring, and energy optimization. What technologies or approaches do you think will shape the evolution of data centers in the coming years?

Without a doubt, liquid cooling will play an increasingly important role.

We are seeing the emergence of solutions such as Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling, with cold plates mounted directly on the processors, along with CDU systems that allow for the hydraulic separation of the facility’s circuit from the technological circuit. There are also alternatives such as Rear Door Heat Exchangers and immersion cooling, and different technologies will likely coexist depending on the densities and needs of each facility.

But for me, there is another development that is just as important: continuous monitoring and the intelligent use of data.

When working with liquid cooling, simply monitoring the temperature is not enough. Pressure, flow rate, filtration , and fluid quality—including pH, redox, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity, among other factors—become critical variables for ensuring reliability and performance.

The combination of sensors, data analytics, and artificial intelligence can be extremely helpful in detecting deviations before they become problems and in dynamically optimizing operations.

We will also see a shift toward operating temperatures that allow for better use of free cooling, reduce dependence on certain cooling systems, and even facilitate the reuse of waste heat.

Technology is going to advance tremendously, but the goal should remain fairly simple: to create facilities that are simultaneously more efficient, more reliable, and easier to operate.

 

5. ASHRAE plays a key role in developing standards, guidelines, and best practices. How can this technical expertise help make data center projects more efficient, resilient, and sustainable?

Specifically, by contributing something I consider increasingly necessary: an independent, verified, and evidence-based technical foundation.

We are living in a time when there is an enormous amount of information available, new technologies are emerging practically every day, and, in addition, the regulatory framework is evolving very rapidly.

A very recent example can be found in Spain with the Draft Royal Decree regulating the requirements for energy sustainability, environmental sustainability, resilience, and digital sovereignty applicable to data centers, which is currently open for public comment and information.

The project raises fundamental issues for the sector, such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, energy sources, resilience, and the sustainability of these infrastructures themselves.

And precisely when we begin to set simultaneous goals for metrics such as PUE and WUE, technical criteria become essential, because optimizing one variable can have consequences for another. We cannot analyze energy, water, cooling, or resilience in isolation: we must understand the system’s overall behavior as well as the climatic and operational conditions of each project.

For decades, ASHRAE has been producing research, standards, guidelines, and publications on energy efficiency, environmental conditions, thermal management, and data center operations. It continues to expand this knowledge in areas such as new thermal classes, liquid cooling, interoperability, and best practices associated with these technologies.

This knowledge enables engineering firms, manufacturers, and operators to work using a common language, compare solutions based on technical criteria, and reduce risks.

Because a sustainable data center isn’t simply one that achieves a good efficiency rating on the day it goes live. It must maintain that efficiency, ensure service continuity, and be able to operate reliably for many years.

For me, that's one of ASHRAE's greatest contributions: helping us turn all that available information into better decisions.

 

6. One of the goals of this new phase is to strengthen the transfer of knowledge between research and industry. What kind of collaboration would be needed among engineering firms, manufacturers, operators, universities, and government agencies to support the sector’s growth?

I think we need to do a much better job of connecting the knowledge that exists among the various stakeholders in the sector.

We have universities conducting research, manufacturers developing new technologies, engineering firms designing facilities, and operators accumulating extraordinary experience over years of operation. The problem is that often all that knowledge does not circulate sufficiently among them.

And especially in an industry that is evolving at the same pace as data centers, we cannot afford to work in isolation.

We need operators to share real-world operational experiences; engineering firms to incorporate those lessons into new designs; manufacturers to contribute innovation, as well as transparency and technical evidence; and universities and research centers to address real-world industry challenges.

We also need to work very closely with government agencies. The draft royal decree currently under public review and consultation is a good example of this. I think it is very positive that ambitious efficiency and sustainability goals are being set, but it is also essential that the technical expertise of those who design, build, and operate these facilities be incorporated into the development of the regulatory framework.

We are talking about extraordinarily complex infrastructure systems, where energy, water, climate, technology, resilience, and operations are completely intertwined. That is why the more dialogue there is between government agencies, technical associations, engineering firms, operators, manufacturers, and universities, the better the solutions we will be able to develop.

And I believe that organizations like ASHRAE can serve precisely as that neutral meeting point among all these stakeholders, contributing international knowledge, research, and technical expertise.

Because innovation only creates true value when we are able to share it, test it, and turn it into practical knowledge.

In the end, no one person has all the answers. Good judgment comes from listening, sharing experiences, and learning from one another.