A British company offers individuals to install a cloud computing unit on their water heaters.
Data centers are as essential as they are energy-intensive. Their impact in terms of CO₂ is now as important as that of civil aviation, and should even exceed it in the years to come. One of the main causes of this colossal energy requirement is their cooling system. The servers heat up, and even a lot, and if installing them at the North Pole could facilitate their cooling, other more ” local » seem more appropriate and grow as our cloud infrastructure needs become more democratic.
Up to more than €200 savings per year
The English company Heata has just launched a brand new cloud computing system intended to be installed in private homes. Directly connected to water heaters, the servers use the water from the latter to cool their components, while heating the water intended for consumption.
If this system is capable of providing up to 4.8 kWh per day of energy, the resistance of the water heater remains present and functional to ensure the supply of hot water to the inhabitants. In addition, the company guarantees to supply a minimum of 2.5 kWh daily. When the water is too hot to allow proper cooling, the server will simply run sluggishly, if at all.
Installation of the device is supported by Heata and takes less than two hours. Once operational, the server uses household electricity. This consumption is then reimbursed by the company at 10% above the market rate, and could save individuals up to £200 a year.
A new approach to digital infrastructure
Heata plans to provide 5G or fiber optic connectivity to its servers, but not immediately. In the meantime, it is the internet connection of the inhabitants which will be used to be able to communicate with the outside world. However, the company guarantees more intensive use of bandwidth at night than during the day, in order to limit its daily impact on it, and the use of a reinforced security protocol to guarantee data protection. Also, for the same purpose, the devices are equipped with alarms to detect any physical intrusion.
The British are not alone in reusing servers to heat homes, businesses and even swimming pools. Microsoft is also getting down to it, planning to heat thousands of homes through its data centers in Norway and Japan. Many other initiatives are emerging around the world, seeking to connect digital to the challenges of climate change and rising energy prices.
Source : Tom’s Hardware
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