Data Furnaces: Crazy Idea or Practical Solution?

Data Center Knowledge (Nov 28 2011) Carbon Footprint , Cloud Computing , Servers

1. Will the cloud live in your house, and heat your home? That’s the unusual concept put forth by researchers from Microsoft and the University of Virginia in a paper published earlier this year,who suggested that large cloud infrastructures could be distributed across offices and homes, which would use exhaust heat from cabinets of servers to supplement (or even replace) their on-site heating systems. The research, which got an initial burst of publicity back in July, has now been picked up by The New York Times. The ability to recycle server heat - using air from the hot aisle to warm nearby office space – is a proven concept being used in a growing number of data centers, usually to warm offices in the data center or adjacent buildings. The Times story acknowledges several of the obvious drawbacks – security of the servers and temperature control in the “server room” – but also ... (Read Full Article)

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