Could Data Centers Heat our Homes and Offices ?
Data centers use a lot of energy to power servers and in doing so generate a lot of heat. Additional energy is then needed to keep the servers and other equipment from overheating (air conditioning or chiller systems). Could the heat from servers be repurposed instead of cooled ?
According to a research paper (link below) “ … “data furnaces” could offer a lower carbon footprint … [in] home offices or office buildings. … servers could … become a primary heating system for these buildings …”
There are obstacle to overcome but in theory it seems to make sense.
What do you think ? Will there ever be a server farm in your apartment building / complex or office tower?
>>> To read the Microsoft research paper LINK
>>> Fujitsu is using a similar concept for heat reuse – using it to drive data center cooling systems LINK
Via: ZDNet LINK
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Beyond Low Energy homes are Zero Energy Homes (ZEH). Using technology including geothermal heating and cooling, PV panels, heat recovery ventilation and super insulation and high efficiency windows the homes in Green Acres (New Paltz NY) may be the first ZEH in the world.
Braxton's in Devon, PA (western suburbs of Philadelphia) is a 3rd generation family business. We buy a lot of our dog stuff there ... one day I noticed a sign outside touting their "
green-ness" by installing LED lighting.
It might be a marriage made on the farm .. with data centers being located in rural areas that have lots of farms using manure to power data centers is a way to be green
"Data centers need a lot of energy. Dairy farms create a lot of methane. ... HP Labs has done the math to show that one could be used to support the other."
Ghost power users are devised that are "turned" off but still draw power. Included in this category are batter charges used for cell phones and the like.
Syracuse University's new green data center follows LEED guidelines and is both green and energy efficient. 
Chicago's ConEd is conducting an experiment to determine how consumers manage their energy use when they have metrics on use, cost and use patterns. Home will be outfitted with solar panels and some homes will be allowed to sell back to the grid and others will not.
r year ... "
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BloomEnergy has announced a novel fuel cell and unlike typical fuel cells if does not require precious metal catalysts. Fuel cells are typcially "cleaner" than other power sources.
Scientists from CalTech have developed technology that might lead efficient solar cells from silicon nanowires. This could lead to all sorts of configurations for solar cells including fabrics.
gawatt hours per year ... if they were classed as a separate industry, they would be the sixth-largest user of electricity ... "
Norway's Statkraft is looking at osmosis as a possible energy source. Currently the output is minimal but it may be the way of the future.
In addition to being know for its green efforts (solar panels and highly efficient servers) Google is possibly entering ther power business by applying for a license to buy and sell wholesale power.
and see some of the technology he is using as well as ways to cut your carbon footprint.
White roofs are the "hot" thing in roofing ... allowing for a lowed burden on a/c systems.
(0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, ... The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometers, or 154 miles.
tant as solar and wind start to power the grid.
Listen to Marc Porat, Chairman of the Board of Serious Materials, discus issues surrounding green homes ... from the Greentech MEdia's Green Building Summit ... how many can be built / retrofitted per year ... what does this do for energy savings and job creation ...
" ... Serious Material Chairman Marc Porat discusses the challenges associated with building "green" residential homes. He believes it's important for the green industry to persuade governments to mandate environmentally sustainable buildings in order to speed up construction."
Via: SmartPlanet 
Old WW II Ammunition bunkers in Nebraaka may have a 2nd life as secure data centers. Their location and construction make them ideal facilities for secure data centers ... and goethermal cooling allows them to be less energy intensive compared to the normal data center.
" Prairie Bunkers LLC said this week that it has completed a test well for a geothermal cooling system at its 760-acre Prairie Bunkers Data Center Park near Hastings, Nebraska. ... paves the way for the company to offer geothermal cooling for its innovative project."
"... hopes to convert dozens of World War II ammunition bunkers into data centers, hoping to capitalize on interest in ultra-secure data storage ... plans for geothermal power will help tenants achieve Platinum status ... (LEED) ... for energy-efficient builfings."
Energy Ball is a wind turbine that generate electricity at very low speeds. Read on for more about this Netherlands based company.
" ... SolarChill ... aims to create a stand-alone solar powered refrigerator that not only preserves food, but also meets the World Health Organization's standards for vaccine storage ... One SolarChill unit can serve a population of 50,000 people for preserving vaccines. ... for use in emergency relief where electrical supply has been disrupted by war or natural disaster." 
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Most of the bio fuel processes are require significant amounts of petroleum energy (i.e. to grow the basic crop like corn) or to power the process. Algenol is totally different ... it does not compete in a food vs/ biofuel stock like corn.
ny ... advanced 3rd generation biofuels technology producing ethanol from algae through a process powered by the sun ... industrial-scale, low-cost ethanol using algae, sunlight, CO2, and seawater.... does not use food, farmland, or fresh water."
Philadelphia is a city of row houses ... unfortunately many are in blighted condition and when they are town down the newly created "end units" are poorly insulated. Cleaning up the blighted homes causes the other homeowners to have basically little or no insulation on a large surface of their home.
Not long ago data centers were concerned with maximum density and processing power. But as electricity cost have risen and supply becoming a gating factor - the data center is changing .. 
nd, perhaps to a lesser degree, are built in a more environmentally responsible manner. Hardware makers are stepping up to meet the challenge, "
e power. Enough, at least, to keep a cell phone from running out of juice.
So what is a "smart grid" and how does it differ from the current grid.??? >>> The current grid has little "smarts" or feedback to either power generators, distributors or end consumers. The "smarts" in the form of meters or controls allow monitoring of many points in between the generation plant and the end user to allow for more efficient distribution and control. Ultimately this can lead to reduced demand for new generation as you can better balance supply and demand. "Silver Spring Networks builds networks that enable a utility to ... improve efficiency, reliability and customer service while reducing costs. Built for real-time networking, open standards ... allows for continued seamless integration of new networking technologies while continuing to provide proven redundancy, integrity and reliability ... Network interface cards (NICs) from Silver Spring Networks are here today and empower endpoints that meter gas, water and electricity, and automate load-control devices ..." "Silver Spring Networks ... Smart Grid, known as a Smart Energy Network ... . addresses the challenges of running multiple applications and devices on a common networking infrastructure using multiple transport technologies, dramatically improving efficiency, lowering costs and ensuring the reliable delivery of services. ... more efficient grid could cut the growth rate of worldwide energy consumption by more than half over the next 15 years and drastically reduce carbon emissions." 
The Energy Biz Leadership Forum is March 8 - 10 in Washington DC. www.energybizforum.com
oduce the EnergyBiz Leadership Forum."
There are several "limitations" to wind power --- one is that the source is concentrated far from the using population (issue with transmission). Another is that wind is available when demand for power is not; so there for the need to "store the wind energy".
- to store air in an underground geologic structure of porous rock. ... as demand for electricity rises, the stored air will be released, heated, and used to drive generators -- in turn producing electricity for residents in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas."
The California Academy of Sciences is an example of GREN design - from solar cells, to green roof, to skylights to reused literature ...
See the Video for more ...
Via: ZDNet 
at restore the planet and all that inhabit it ..."
Waste heat recovery is the process of taking the heat from a heat emitting piece of equipment, like a computer, and using it for heating something else - rather than just dissipating it to the environment ... and potentially saving the cost of air conditioning.
er to shower at any time more comfortably,” says Ma Yanjun, a carpenter, of Qiqiao village, Shaanxi Province."
" ... two markets when it comes to utility-grade energy storage. ... storage devices that can store several hours or even weeks of electricity. ... are designed to make power generation resources, particularly wind or solar power, available when it's needed"
Solio offers a line of solar chargers for smaller electronics like cell phones, GPS, cameras, etc. The California based company has some cool looking designs that offer solar charging or the aa
bility to plug into the wall and when charged act as a battery (replaceable). 
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Radnor Township (Delaware Country, Pa) recently opened their new Middle School. It was designed from the ground up to be environmentally friendly as well as to provide a healthy environment for the students and staff.
