The data center and colocation industry is a small segment of the IT sector, but represents a large portion of the power consumption. In this edition of Voices of the Industry, Kevin Hagen, of Iron Mountain, outlines the evolution of renewable energy use in the data center and colocation industry.
Insights: Data Center Energy
Electricity is the lifeblood of every data center. At Data Center Frontier, we're exploring new frontiers in data center energy as we see data centers in new places. Some of these new facilities will seek new sources of energy, especially renewable technologies such as wind and solar, as well as landfills and other sources of biogas. Other technologies, such as Bloom Energy fuel cells, may prompt consolidated approaches to power architecture.
We're interested in how modular data centers and other design innovations allow new methods of deploying Internet infrastructure, creating opportunities to make use of solar arrays, wind turbines, fuel cells, combined heat & power (CHP), microgrids, and the recycling of server exhaust heat to warm buildings through district heating.
Settlement Ends Dispute over Haymarket Data Center Power Lines
Dominion Virginia Power and several community groups have reached an agreement that clears the way for new power lines to support a data center project in Haymarket, Virginia, ending a long-running dispute.
Can Data Centers Boost Renewable Power and Energy Storage?
Our Executive Roundtable panel discusses the impact of power purchases by large data center operators on the accessibility of renewable power and energy storage.
Switch Plans 1 Gigawatt Solar Energy Project in Nevada
Switch will help create a 1 gigawatt solar energy project in Nevada, which will be the largest solar array in the United States, the company said today. The huge project showcases how the data center industry has taken a leadership role in shifting the U.S. economy to sustainable energy.
Vertiv Expands Offerings for Lithium-Ion UPS Systems
Vertiv is expanding its line of UPS systems that can use lithium-ion batteries rather than traditional lead-acid batteries, offering more options for data center operators interested in new options for their power infrastructure.
Bitcoin Miners Seeking Massive Amounts of Power in Washington State
Looking to capitalize on the huge spike in the price of bitcoin, cryptocurrency mining operations are seeking unprecedented amounts of electricity to launch new facilities in Washington State.
Caveat Emptor: Let The Buyer Beware When Buying Renewable Energy
For the data center industry, when it comes to renewable energy we need to follow the principle we learned in our Intro to Economics class – caveat emptor or “let the buyer beware.” In this week’s Voices of the Industry, Phillip Sandino, Vice President of Data Center Operations at RagingWire Data Centers, examines how data centers can improve their renewable energy usage.
Energy Procurement: A Painful Process Made Easy
It’s typical for a company to view energy procurement as simply another cost. Making the time to understand all of the options and what a company is buying is hard because of the complexity involved with the energy market. In this edition of Voices of the Industry, Brian Frazier, Director of Energy Services for Stream Data Centers, outlines the benefits of energy procurement services.
Facebook: Open Sharing Was Key to Addressing Arc Flash Incidents
At the 7×24 Exchange, Facebook disclosed two arc flash incidents at its data center in Sweden, and how its post-event analysis headed off other potential incidents.
Facebook Comes to Richmond, Boosting Green Energy Options in Virginia
Facebook is coming to Richmond, and bringing tons of solar energy with it. The company will invest $1 billion in a data center and network of solar energy facilities.
Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 15 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution.