NOV 14

Between the computers, the networking gear, and the cooling systems which keep them all running smoothly, it's estimated that server farms like Google's (now partially solar-powered) consume 1.5% of all energy in the U.S. Only 1.5%, you say... why, that's hardly anything, right? Well, let's put that in perspective... that's still 1.5 quadrillion BTUs every year, or the equivalent of 268 million barrels of oil. At today's prices, that's a dollar amount only Dr. Evil can pronounce.

In the world's most power-hungry server farms, each square meter of electronics can consume as much electricity as six medium-sized homes, and keeping it all at optimum temperature can add up to more than 60% of the bill. Bean Counters take note: One of the best ways to save money in the IT department is to invest in greener technology, which runs cooler and consumes less power. Blade servers using virtualization are going to help HP consolidate its massive data centers into new energy-efficient configurations, and IBM is investing over ONE... BILLION... DOLLARS a year in green tech (mua-ha-ha!), which will save them a projected 40% on their electricity bill.

Sound interesting? The good people over at WorldChanging are putting together a comprehensive guide to Green Computing in Data Centers, which highlights some of the latest innovations in the field. New power supplies, blade servers and updated software represent incremental efficiency gains of 20-50% each. Then there's my personal favorite: liquid cooling.

Water cooling is both more efficient than air cooling and can handle higher heat loads, simply because water is far more conductive of heat and has much higher thermal mass than air. It's been slow to catch on because administrators are paranoid about leaks (water and electronics certainly don't mix well), but systems are available now that have been proven reliable. IBM and HP have water-cooled server racks, and Knurr's even won a design award. The Pacific Northwest National Lab even proposed cooling via liquid metal, so that the fluid can be pumped hydromagnetically, with no moving parts.

Despite bearing an uncanny resemblance to a molten T1000 (or perhaps because of it), this sounds freakin' awesome. Assuming the liquid metal in question isn't bio-hazardous mercury, this could make existing computer cooling technology far more environmetnally sound, and also open the doors for future CPUs in need of serious heat dissipation.

via BoingBoing

Comments (6)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Liquid yes, water no
written by d thompson, November 15, 2007

A better way to manage the heat loads is with a vaporizable dielectric fluid and take advantage of the heat of vaporization to move the heat loads off the server. Water in this type of application has many complications, it has to be deionized, it has to be treated to prevent organic growth, it requires large pumps & complex plumbing. Check out www.thermalformandfunction.com for an interesting look at the future.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by zupakomputer, November 15, 2007

I'm looking at building an aircooled rig myself as my budget (nor available space..) won't stretch to watercooling right now - but what's mentioned above as to de-ionised & treated water - that's all already very available. Countless online shops sell those kits and spares for the home enthusiast. There's even plenty of pre-built systems on sale, mostly gaming rigs, that are entirely water-cooled.

Be impressed, be very impressed. This is not computing, this is art. etc

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Dr. Evil, November 15, 2007

Why would you want to invest BILLIONS when you could invest...MILLIONS!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Roll on Austin Powers 3: Thunderballs
written by zupakomputer, November 15, 2007

Or for that matter, why keep kidding-on that the whole environmental / econmic / etc mess doesn't only exist because certain persons abused time-travel. Cause we know that's what happened.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

4 I meant, Austin Powers 4
written by zupakomputer, November 15, 2007

Ooops. Hope that didn't confuse anyone*. Genuine error, I hadn't forgotten about Goldmember, the wrong number came out was all.

*like the fact that solid-state memory ('carts') will once again be the standard for games consoles, confuses some people.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by me, June 02, 2009

weirdo!!!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Add Comment