May 8, 2008 at 15:55Microsoft server wagons powered by windmills
Microsoft will fill an entire floor in the new Chicago data center with truck wagons packed with servers. According to the latest information , the company was able to pack 300,000 servers in containers on one floor. In the container, the equipment density in terms of power was increased from 4300-4800 W per square meter standard for data centers. meter up to 13,000 watts per square meter meter. Theoretically, such mobile “mini data centers” can be installed in any suitable place where there is an Internet access channel and electricity. This is very relevant for Microsoft, because it is now concerned about the construction of data centers around the world .
Although they need a lot of electricity, Microsoft proudly declares
that new trucks with servers are powered exclusively from wind generators. Of course, the windmills do not connect directly to them, but are located hundreds of kilometers from the data center, and the energy from them enters the general energy supply system. But Microsoft bought the full quota for the required amount of electricity from the owner of the wind turbines (in America there is a special state program for this), so formally its data center is powered exclusively from wind turbines.
Perhaps in the future such cargo containers will be placed at least in a clean field near wind power stations, or they will immediately come complete with wind turbines. True, to get a power of 100 megawatts, a lot of windmills will be needed. However, instead of windmills, you can use solar panels, and then with appropriate cooling, mobile data centers can be quickly deployed even in the Persian Gulf (they’re just building a digital island connected to the world with powerful optical fiber).
that new trucks with servers are powered exclusively from wind generators. Of course, the windmills do not connect directly to them, but are located hundreds of kilometers from the data center, and the energy from them enters the general energy supply system. But Microsoft bought the full quota for the required amount of electricity from the owner of the wind turbines (in America there is a special state program for this), so formally its data center is powered exclusively from wind turbines.
Perhaps in the future such cargo containers will be placed at least in a clean field near wind power stations, or they will immediately come complete with wind turbines. True, to get a power of 100 megawatts, a lot of windmills will be needed. However, instead of windmills, you can use solar panels, and then with appropriate cooling, mobile data centers can be quickly deployed even in the Persian Gulf (they’re just building a digital island connected to the world with powerful optical fiber).