Data center developer Corscale will use nickel-zinc battery technology at its new data center campus in Northern Virginia, and plans to standardize the technology across the company’s data center portfolio.
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.
RECs, PPAs, and Other Paths to Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and green business energy tariffs are key tools in a data center sustainability strategy. Here’s a closer look at how they work.
Uptime: Longer Data Center Outages Are Becoming More Common
The frequency of data center downtime hasn’t changed significantly, but outages are becoming longer and more expensive, according to new research from The Uptime Institute, which reported a “disturbing increase” in outages longer than 24 hours.
Data Centers Embrace Vegetable Oil as Cleaner Fuel for Generators
A growing number of data centers are turning to vegetable oil to reduce their impact on the environment, adopting fuels based on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel the generators that provide backup power, replacing diesel fuel.
Going Beyond Compliance: When Compliance Alone is Not Enough
While exceeding compliance may be possible, it can cost more to do so. Allan Schurr of Enchanted Rock explains how clean microgrids can help data centers exceed minimum compliance and save money.
Are Operators Ready for Green Data Center Laws?
Data center climate pacts become nothing more than greenwashing if we do not take tangible, viable steps to create sustainable energy usage in operations. Mark Fenton of Future Facilities explores how a data center digital twin can help operators improve energy efficiency.
Will Battery Storage Solutions Replace Generators?
Battery storage solutions are finally rounding the corner and becoming viable alternatives to diesel generators for data center backup power. Here’s a closer look at storage, as well as the role of biomass and hydropower, via Kohler Power.
The State of Renewable Energy for Data Centers
The U.S. Energy Information Association (EIA) lists five major sources of renewable energy. We look at the state of three types of renewables for data centers – solar, wind, and geothermal power.
A Sensible Path to Data Center Sustainability
New technologies are driving data center energy demand, while customers seek to reducing energy consumption. Managing rapid growth and improving data center sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive goals, according to Kohler.
Data Center Jobs: Engineering Jobs Available in Major Markets
Each month Data Center Frontier in partnership with Pkaza post some of the hottest data center jobs in the market. Find your next job here!
Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution.