Kakao (035720) has cut cooling power costs at a leased data center by more than 20% through changes in how the facility is operated, without replacing any equipment.
The company said on the 22nd that it optimized the cooling system at a leased data center in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, reducing power costs by about 23% from a year earlier. The case applied energy management know-how built up while running its own data centers to an externally leased facility.
Kakao optimized server room cooling temperatures and chiller water temperatures based on operating data and on-site conditions. As a result, it kept the data center running stably and lowered power costs through record heat waves and shifts in server usage, without replacing or adding equipment.
Kakao had earlier achieved energy savings at its own facility, Kakao Data Center Ansan. There it optimized cooling equipment, improved air-conditioning operations, raised the efficiency of power equipment and used solar power for its own consumption. Those steps cut greenhouse gas emissions by 4,753 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂eq) last year, roughly the amount emitted annually by about 3,400 passenger cars.
The latest result came from a partnership between Kakao and LG CNS. Kakao contributed data-based thermal management know-how, while LG CNS added data center operating experience. LG CNS adjusted the operating methods of key cooling equipment such as precision air conditioners and chillers, verifying operational stability at each stage.
An autonomous AI agent developed by LG CNS was also applied in some server rooms. The system analyzes server room conditions and equipment operating data in real time and autonomously controls cooling equipment to help reduce energy use.
"We confirmed that energy efficiency can be improved based on operating data even in environments where equipment replacement is limited, so we will continue to expand eco-friendly data center operations based on Kakao's technological capabilities and on-site collaboration," a Kakao official said.
"This project is a case in which Kakao and LG CNS put data center operational stability first while applying both operational efficiency gains for existing equipment and AI-based autonomous cooling technology," an LG CNS official said. "We will continue to support customers in improving energy efficiency based on our data center operating expertise and AI technology."
