You hear the term data center thrown around a lot. Everyone seems to have one. When you think of them you think of just massive rows of computers and servers for data storage as data and information is now one of the most valuable assets that a company can have. These data centers consume a large amount of electricity, not only to run them but to keep them from overheating. Microsoft may have come up with a way to cut down on the amount of power used.
To the bottom of the ocean?
Microsoft has sent one of its data centers, dubbed Project Natick, to the bottom of the sea. In June they sunk one of their data centers off the coast of the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. The computers were placed in a white cylinder and is connected to the grid via an underwater power cable. The belief is that by placing this underwater the cool water will help to cut down on cooling costs.
The Orkney Islands are a chain of 70 islands (20 are inhabited) about 10 miles off of the northern coast of Scotland. The islands have been inhabited for over 10,000 years. About 22,000 people live on the island chain today with most of the populace involved in either farming or commercial fishing. The climate is extremely cool with average summer temperatures barely exceeding 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain is common with over 30 inches every year. The water temperature usually does not exceed 57 degrees Fahrenheit at all.
Why the Orkneys?
The Orkney Islands were chosen for a reason. The islands are a major center for renewable energy in Europe. That should come as no surprise as there are little in the way of major energy resources like coal on the islands that could provide power which forces the residents of the islands to use renewable sources like wind energy. The company that helped lay the underwater cable, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), has also been a pioneer in harnessing wave and tidal energy as well.
There are other benefits as well. Since no humans will need to enter the cylinder no oxygen is required. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere in the cylinder is also greatly reduced which will hopefully prevent corrosion, a major issue with any computer.
Is this feasible?
Of course there are potentially major issues that could arise. The cylinder is only expected to have a lifespan of 5 years. Also once the cylinder is on the bottom it will stay there so if one computer in it fails it cannot be replaced until the cylinder is brought back to the surface. This cylinder also only has room for 12 racks of servers so this pricewise is not a practical solution at the moment. And while the project is hailed as a way to save a lot of energy not every environmentalist is happy. One is predicting warmer oceans and bigger fish.
If this is successful Microsoft envisions several more just like it and other companies will most certainly follow suit.