Data-centers consume a lot of energy. To United States of America, for example, large data-centers consume about 2% of all energy which is made in the country. Power consumption constantly grows in the telecommunication sphere. In 2014 data-centers of United States of America used about 70 billion kWh of energy. According to Stanford and Carnegie Mellon's University as much consume 6,4 million households of the same country. But as a whole energy efficiency of data-centers increases. For example, from 2010 to 2014 DTs power consumption to United States of America grew by only 4%. And here for the last five years growth of power consumption by data-centers made 24%.
Experts consider that by 2020 this indicator will grow slightly — approximately by 4%. And this with the fact that the majority of telecommunication giants is built actively by new DTs. Why growth of power consumption goes not so actively, how earlier? The matter is that producers of the equipment and the telecommunication companies began to attach very great value to energy efficiency of the systems and objects. Also consumers of energy began to use alternative sources: biogas, solar energy, wind power, etc. Not always it becomes for the good of the nature, simply the companies try to increase the autonomy in respect of power supply and use technologies available to them in order that to achieve it.
of Sotsialnaya set Facebook, Apple, Google Inc., eBay, Microsoft COR and many other corporations already gradually introduce long ago into circulation "green" energy in the data-centers. The same is done also by less known companies. Let's look, what ways use various companies for increase in the autonomy in the power supply sphere.
Apple
the Corporation in the new DTs constructed two "solar farms". Besides, also biogas which is made on a place here is used. Source of organic chemistry are the fields which are near DTs. Developed methane is used not as fuel for, for example, thermal power plant. It fill fuel elements from
with Bloom Energy. In the course of obtaining energy in such elements hydrogen of a molecule of methane reacts with air oxygen. The electricity is made, as by-products water and small amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted.
Solar power stations Apple (their two) make p 42 million kW of h energy. In a year the company receives 84 million kW h solar energy and about 40 million kWh of the energy generated by means of fuel elements. It would suffice to supply with energy about 11 thousand households within a year.
eBay
This company constructed the new DTs in State of Utah. It is connected to a staff power supply system. But energy from the general network is used only for reserve storages of data.
A the data-center receives the energy generated by fuel elements. Here the same elements from Bloom Energy, in number of 30 pieces are used. All this power station near a data-center so losses at transmission of energy are minimum is located. On a roof of DTs solar elements which also make energy for needs of object are established also.
Amazon
at the end of 2015 the management of Amazon declared that a quarter all consumed company of energy — is "green" energy. By the end of this year the percent of use of energy of alternative sources will grow up to 40%.
For the three new data-centers in Amazon vetroenergostantion decided to construct p. They are already almost constructed, and their total power makes 820 000 Mvt*ch. It will suffice to provide with energy company data-centers to State of Ohio. Now vetroenergostantion of the company work in State of North Carolina and Virginia, United States of America.
of Sotsialnaya set Facebook
This data-center was not just like that constructed by p in Luleå, the region which as it was already spoken above, is in only 60 kilometers from the Polar Circle. Data-center decided to construct in a place of a confluence of the river to Lula to the Gulf of Bothnia (Gulf of Bothnia). Average annual temperature here — only 1 degree Celsius. By the way, the effectiveness ratio of use of energy (PUE) for this data-center makes only 1,07 while the average value for other data-centers makes 1,6-1,99.
the Company uses in this data-center only the energy received from hydroelectric power station. It placed on the river which is nearby. Thanks to this fact of the company it was succeeded to reduce number of spare generators by 70%.
Verne Global
the Data-center of this company settles down in general to Iceland. Thanks to cool climate of this region for cooling only external air is used. The data-center of the company receives energy from geothermal and hydroelectric power stations.
to
Thanks to a combination of a number of factors to this data-center managed to become p one of the most "green" DTs. Besides, this object is almost completely autonomous and does not depend on energy deliveries from the general network.
Equinix AM3
This
the data-center is in Amsterdam, Netherlands. To increase efficiency of use of energy with simultaneous decrease in power consumption of object, the operator uses Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) and hybrid cooling towers. Cool air of towers is used for fall of temperature of hot corridors. It is used in the cooling system and water which takes away heat from servers and racks with the equipment.
Heated water goes straight to system of heating of Amsterdam university. It is win/win system with the maximum energy efficiency and the minimum influence on environment.
Green House Data WY2
the Operator of this data-center decided to use advantages of cool climate of the city Cheyenne, State of Wyoming, United States of America, for decrease in power consumption of object. Thanks to this PUE reaches everything 1.14. Plus to everything, a data-center does not depend on an external power supply system, 100% of the energy consumed by object, is made on the vetroenergostantion which is settling down nearby.
By the way to lower power consumption by the DTs cooling system, it is at all optional to build it near the Polar Circle. There are also other methods — for example, Google Inc. recently lowered energy consumption by the cooling system in the data-center, using the AI weak form from Deepmind. As we see, methods can be different, but result — same: energy efficiency increase, decrease in charges of DTs, decrease in dependence on the general power infrastructure of the region.
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