Use Wind and Solar Energy to Power Computers, Urges Expert
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 03.18.08
Image courtesy of CMP73 via flickr
While they still only account for a minute fraction of total yearly emissions, the carbon emissions produced by computers have been on the rise - buffeted by the likes of Google and other computing-heavy firms - and are set to increase dramatically over the coming decades. However, because computing power need not be centrally located to achieve its functions, server farms could potentially be moved to areas where renewable energy - in the form of wind or solar - is plentiful to mitigate their carbon footprint.
That was the point made by Andy Hopper, a computer expert at Cambridge University, at a recent Royal Society meeting in London. Speaking to The Guardian's James Randerson, he said that computing power could "be moved around the world and can be done anywhere in the world where energy is available."
Hopper supports a scheme under which servers would be migrated to areas close to wind farms or solar panels working at full tilt; dependant on their demand, operators could call upon a global network of energy producers to supply power precisely where and when needed. As Hopper explained, such a scheme would help minimize many of the inefficiencies associated with a national grid and provide a "more efficient, more appropriate, cheaper" way to consume energy "in situ."
With the rise of cloud computing and more and more computer manufacturers and users moving to lower their emissions, similar schemes are likely to gain steam in the near future; servers could eventually become one of the first major technologies to rely mostly on renewable energy sources.
Via ::The Guardian: Wind power urged for computers (newspaper), ::PC Pro: World "needs wind-powered" server farms (news website)
See also: ::BuyGreen: Desktop Computers, ::
"server farms could potentially be moved to areas where renewable energy - in the form of wind or solar - is plentiful to mitigate their carbon footprint."
If by that they mean moving them there AND building new generation capacity, it's a good idea.
But if they move them without building new generation, they are just displacing demand and not really making things better. That clean energy would have been used by someone else.
Damn good idea, we should have aimed to run all computers off renewable sources from the start.
If we'd been used to squeezing extra computing power from the same level of electrical power, and making our improvements that way, then 500W gaming 'rigs' and always-on personal 'server' PCs would have looked as stupid as they are beginning to look now.
Sometimes displacing demand is what is needed. Since energy consumption and production aren't linear, moving a very predictable energy consumer to a different location can make a big difference in the whole system.
Anything that flattens the curve, even if it doesn't reduce consumption or increase production, is better for all of us.
Tomshardware did something like this. It's working.
Just a friendly reminder: the climate of the region should also be considered. One of the major challenges with large server farms is getting rid of the heat. That is a lot easier when it is cold outside.
High winds and cold temperatures tend to produce low land costs, which SHOULD produce a perfect combination for businesses. This would come at the cost of solar energy, since the regions that match the criteria above tend to be without sun, or with minimal sun for long periods of time.
All this assumes that no terrorist would target our all grouped together computer server farm and try to kill the information capacity of the industrial world.
While grouping like items together near the power source IS a good idea on its own merit, we live in a very imperfect world. I hope it doesn't happen.
Google and Microsoft are already locating massive new data centers near Columbia river hydro plants. This gives them cheap power, cheap land and tax incentives. I seem to also recall some data centers locating in the south East next to nuke plants for the same reason.
It's a good idea in prinicple and the 'giants' seem to be following this lead, but the home user can also contribute by choosing to buy more energy effieicent green pc's. These can use upto 20% less electricity.
Also, the amount used by home users probably far outweighs that used by these server farms.
Well, as long as technology is evolving, why not input a certain green compliant one in it? Power sources are important to make them operate and with this suggestion, who knows? We may see the first power supply running on wind or solar energy. It can happen.
Researchers at Uclue estimated that the internet accounts for 9.4% of total electricty use in the US:
Energy Use of the Internet
Computers powered by solar energy could make a big dent.