Data Center Filtration: The Hidden Lever for Lower Energy Costs
Mr. Bruce Lorange
Global Director
Corporate Marketing & Communications
H&V, US
Speaker Bio
Bruce Lorange is the Global Director of Marketing & Communications at Hollingsworth & Vose, a 200-year-old industry leader in filtration and energy storage solutions. In his current role, he leads global corporate marketing strategy, brand development, and external communications.
Bruce has spent the past decade at the intersection of filtration, nonwovens, air quality, and public health. At H&V, he previously led global marketing for the Indoor Air Quality segment and hosted The Air Exchange podcast series on IAQ trends. Earlier, he was CEO of O2TODAY, a venture-backed respiratory protection and performance textile manufacturer. His career also spans leadership roles in consumer goods and luxury retail, including serving as Creative Director at a consumer marketing agency and Area General Manager of duty-free retail in Asia-Pacific for LVMH.
Drawing on this cross-industry experience, Bruce helps position the filtration industry to better communicate the critical role of filtration solutions in advancing human health, energy efficiency, and environmental outcomes. He earned his B.A. in English, with a minor in Japanese, from Villanova University and Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan.
Outside of work, Bruce is an avid endurance athlete, training for triathlons, cycling, and competing in long-distance events.
Presentation time
December 2, 2025
10:40 am - 10:55am EST
Abstract
Data centers are among the most energy-intensive facilities worldwide, with demand accelerating rapidly as AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure scale. Global data center spending is projected to grow from $386 billion in 2025 to over $1 trillion by 2034 (Global Market Insights, 2024). This expansion is transforming the energy landscape: U.S. data centers consumed 4.4% of national electricity in 2023, and forecasts suggest they could account for 9-12% by 2030, ending a decade of flat electricity demand (U.S. DOE, 2023). At hyperscale, individual facilities can require more than 100 MW of continuous power, comparable to the annual electricity use of 350,000 - 400,000 electric vehicles (IEA, 2023).
Industry focus often centers on cooling strategies, renewable sourcing, and power management. Yet one critical factor remains underappreciated: air filtration media. While filters are typically viewed as low-cost consumables, they directly influence fan energy load, total facility emissions, and equipment reliability. Studies show that airflow resistance from filters can account for 2–5% of total data center electricity consumption, making filtration choices a significant lever for operational efficiency (ASHRAE, 2022).
This session will examine how filtration media, the performance driver in HVAC filters, impacts energy consumption, life cycle costs, ESG performance, and data center resilience. Attendees will learn why reframing filters as strategic assets, rather than commodities, can unlock measurable sustainability gains, reduce operating expenses, and safeguard uptime. By integrating optimized filtration strategies into facility design and operations, data centers can reduce energy intensity, improve environmental reporting, and strengthen long-term competitiveness in an increasingly resource-constrained world.