Wednesday, November 2, 2011

IBM Brings Solar Power to Data Centers

Imagine a city that runs on nothing but what the earth gives to us. This is an extreme possibility now that IBM has scratched the surface with a new technology that uses solar panels with water-cooled servers that run on high-voltage current. The Economic Time reports that this is the first technology that has successfully used solar power on such a big scale for IS. This technology would ultimately save around ten percent of energy costs. This process would really cut some transitions of the energy and in time help conserve mass amounts of it if it can be effective. According to the article it this technology would primarily be for big businesses with energy problems and many servers. It would also be a huge benefit to remote areas of the country where it is expensive to get power to. This technology could take the place of the conventional power lines and ultimately save costs for those remote businesses. The only real downfall to this system would be the cost of the solar panel and water-cooled server system and the solar power if the sun isn’t always present.

This article really struck great interest in me to see where energy technology is headed. Every year it seems some company comes out with a revolutionary new way to save power but most fail due to some complications. However, I can see this project by IBM working and becoming a regular way to power a business. The real eye grabber is exactly how much energy costs will be slashed; approximately ten percent is a lot of energy especially for those companies that use mass amounts of electricity. Now this technology maybe only available in India right but I think when it comes to the United States it can really have a positive impact. Our recession has been so ongoing that this technology could open many doors to possibly saving money and even see us climb out of the recession.

My other theory from this article could be with alternative fuel source. If we can develop technology to power an entire business using water and solar energy then we can use it as a blueprint into an alternative fuel source for transportation. I understand that it could potentially be expensive as this technology is but it would pay for itself in energy saving. This would also save us from burning through all our natural resources and use resources that there are plenty of, the sun and water. If we could harness this technology and use it for the transportation industry in some way even to improve hybrids it would be a step in the right direction. There is a push for all electric cars now and this technology has burned a path that shows us how to use solar technology with water to power entire businesses. The solar power could be used for the energy source of the car and the water could be used to keep the car cool or even serve as a form of oil. I know this sounds farfetched and could never happen however how do we know if wouldn’t change life forever if it wasn’t developed. The minds are out there to do it we just need to put it to action because ultimately we need to start stepping toward a cleaner earth and this new IBM technology maybe the first principle to it.

Sources:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20129179-54/ibm-brings-solar-power-to-data-centers/?tag=mncol;txt

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-01/news/30346054_1_solar-power-data-centre-grid-power

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