Re:You Can't Power Your Data Center Only with Renewables
by yellowapple on Thursday April 06, 2023 @04:13PM
(#35473734)
The headline (even the full version) is incorrect. My personal web and mail servers, for example, are VPSs on 1984.hosting, which at least claims to be powered entirely by renewables (specifically: geothermal).
That said, the article's analysis is correct: solar/wind power require some way to store surplus power (and enough storage capacity to withstand changing weather conditions), and geothermal is geography-dependent and entails much higher upfront expenses. The article's conclusion is also correct: even if going 100% renewable is infeasible, there's no sense in letting perfect be the enemy of good, and any degree of renewables in a datacenter's energy mix is better than nothing.
That said, the article's analysis is correct: solar/wind power require some way to store surplus power (and enough storage capacity to withstand changing weather conditions), and geothermal is geography-dependent and entails much higher upfront expenses. The article's conclusion is also correct: even if going 100% renewable is infeasible, there's no sense in letting perfect be the enemy of good, and any degree of renewables in a datacenter's energy mix is better than nothing.