| With the green movement getting more and more | | | | building to provide heat. |
| attention every day, data centers are starting to get | | | | The heat generated from the servers is used to |
| more and more flack for the amount of power the | | | | heat the offices upstairs which host the Winnipeg |
| use up and companies are looking for ways to start | | | | Sun. Additional heat is allocated to the warehouse |
| "greening up." Most of the initiatives that data | | | | across the street which is often chilly due to the |
| facilities are taking involve recycling the power within | | | | door opening and closing all day. Whatever heat is |
| the facility, using energy-efficient servers and cooling | | | | left over is put back outside. |
| the server room more effectively. These efforts are | | | | Heating a Swimming Pool |
| great and lead to less wasted energy and a more | | | | Another company in Switzerland had a similar idea of |
| efficient system. | | | | putting heat generated by servers to good use. This |
| But with all the attention focused on saving, little is | | | | company is located about 25-feet underground and |
| being paid to making better use of the existing heat | | | | 500 feet away from a swimming pool. Instead of |
| generated by the servers. As it stands, this heat | | | | wasting the heat generated by the servers, the |
| gets wasted. It's removed from the facility by | | | | company decided pump the heat into the nearby |
| whatever cooling system the data center uses. Most | | | | swimming pool in order to provide it with the |
| commonly this is in the form of air conditioning or | | | | necessary heat. Using custom-made cooling units |
| water cooling. | | | | overhead and powered by 200 servers, they are |
| Missed Opportunity | | | | able to use the hot exhaust air to heat up the water |
| But what if there was another way - what if the | | | | and then filter it into the pool. This creates a practical |
| heat generated by the servers could be put to | | | | use for the excess heat while simultaneously |
| better use? There is. The solution lies in using the | | | | eliminating the need for the pool to use oil as its |
| heat generated by the servers and putting toward | | | | energy source. |
| something useful, rather than simply discarding it in | | | | Going Green(house) |
| the atmosphere. | | | | The latest example of a data center putting their |
| Energy is wasted all the time these days. Companies | | | | excess heat to good use is at the University of |
| spend thousands of dollars to remove the heat from | | | | Notre Dame. Raising energy costs are forcing the |
| their server room, while simultaneously spending more | | | | local greenhouse to shut down. Currently it costs |
| money to heat other parts of the building. This | | | | around $1,000 a day to heat the greenhouse, which |
| wasted heat is a missed opportunity in energy | | | | politicians have decided is too much to ask taxpayers |
| efficiency. | | | | to pay. |
| There are a few companies that have seen this | | | | That's where Notre Dame comes in. They've |
| opportunity and have taken the initiative to put the | | | | developed a new type of data center that's housed |
| heat generated by servers to good use. There is no | | | | in a standard shipping container and placed right next |
| limit to the potential that this has when harnessed | | | | to the greenhouse. The excess heat from the data |
| and used productively. | | | | center will be pumped into the greenhouse to heat it. |
| Heat Recirculation | | | | This will reduce the costs of running the greenhouse |
| One example of a company using the existing heat | | | | enough so that it won't have to shut down. |
| from the servers is Quebecor, a Canadian media | | | | As an added bonus, the data center will be able to |
| company. Located in Winnipeg, where temperatures | | | | use the humidity generated by the greenhouse in the |
| frequently reach 35 degrees below zero, Celsius in | | | | fall, winter and spring. This reciprocal relationship |
| the winter. The company found that even during the | | | | benefits not only the greenhouse, but the servers as |
| coldest months of the year, they were spending | | | | well. |
| thousands of dollars cooling their data center, despite | | | | Future of Heat |
| the harshly cold temperatures outside. At the same | | | | Reusing heat from data centers has many |
| time, they were spending just as much money | | | | applications and lots of potential as an energy-saving |
| heating up other parts of the building. | | | | initiative. Most companies aren't thinking along these |
| It just didn't make sense. Fortunately the regional | | | | lines though. But they should. Creating more efficient |
| director for the company saw this as an opportunity | | | | servers and cooling systems, reducing the amount of |
| for the company to reuse the heat generated by the | | | | heat generated, and reusing the heat that is |
| servers which helps save energy all around and at | | | | generated are all integral components of an |
| the same time reduces costs. So that's exactly what | | | | energy-efficient data center. Companies have many |
| he did. Instead of merely cooling the server room, he | | | | options to choose from and reusing excess heat is |
| implemented a system whereby the excess heat | | | | yet another way they can help reduce the amount |
| was harnessed and pumped into other parts of the | | | | of waste produced in their facility. |