Unlike older or water-intensive cooling designs, this facility will not rely on evaporative cooling towers, open water systems, or a continuous municipal water supply for cooling. Instead, the cooling system will be filled once during commissioning with a specialized technical fluid – a form of ultra-purified water mixed with non-toxic glycol and corrosion inhibitors to protect the piping, pumps, and specialized high-density AI cooling equipment. 

Cooling methods vary based on climate and local values. While some data centres consume water continuously, our closed-loop design was chosen specifically to protect the Nicola Valley watershed and align with environmental stewardship priorities raised by the community. Because the system is sealed, the fluid continuously circulates, capturing heat from the computing equipment. 

Crucially, this same closed-loop cooling system serves as the engine for our proposed community heat exchange. Rather than simply venting the captured thermal energy outside, the cooling loop transfers the surplus heat to infrastructure designed to support future community needs including residential, industrial and agricultural operations. The fluid itself will not be discharged, evaporated, or regularly replaced as part of normal operations. 

Water use at the data centre will be strictly limited to standard building needs, such as washrooms, staff use, cleaning, and fire protection. Community water will not be used for data centre cooling. This design ensures that the Upper Nicola facility will operate responsibly and without impacting both the community and broader Nicola Valley water systems.  

This facility is not designed with large open-air fan walls or evaporative cooling towers. The advanced liquid cooling and engineered heat rejection equipment significantly reduce the noise profile often associated with older data centre designs. 

Key acoustic mitigation measures in place include: 

• Professional acoustic modelling to ensure sound levels are minimized at nearby property lines. 
• Equipment selection and placement that prioritizes sound performance alongside mechanical efficiency. 
• Building orientation, setbacks, and enclosure designs tailored to the municipal airport location to reduce off-site noise transmission. 
• Acoustic attenuation for mechanical and electrical equipment, including barriers, silencers, and engineered controls. 
• Strict compliance with noise guidelines and applicable regulatory requirements.

Where backup generators are required for reliability, they will be used strictly for emergency backup and scheduled testing. Generator systems feature acoustic enclosures and are tested under controlled conditions consistent with our operating permits. 

At Upper Nicola, we plan to implement a community heat exchange program to reuse the surplus thermal energy captured by our cooling system for future community infrastructure and industrial needs, including aggrotech (greenhouses). The recovered heat can be made available and directed to support greenhouse operations, agricultural processing, and adjacent industrial facilities in the surrounding lands. This direct reuse will help lower overall regional energy consumption and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 

By seamlessly integrating digital infrastructure with future local industries, the Upper Nicola data centre acts as a long-term energy asset, delivering on B.C.'s broader sustainability and decarbonization objectives.