GigaOM Time for Solar Power Data Centers?

Time for Solar Power Data Centers?

The cost effectiveness and convenience of outsourcing your data center to a hosting provider has been under attack from a lack of consumable power from utility companies. There are numerous stories about major hosting providers turning away customers because of their power requirements. Some of the largest enterprises and service providers are have resorted to building their own data centers in remote locales where utility companies can provide the necessary power.

Outsourcing to a remote location may solve the power consumption problem, but can add travel expense and make maintenance difficult if every visit to the server rack requires a screening from the TSA. The question today is: Could solar power step in and save the day?

An effective way of minimizing the impact of your datacenters is to look at the problem from all the different angles, the application, does it need to be a physical platform, could it be coded more efficiently? From the power source, can I use renewable energy, as the article mentions solar power, or can I buy it from a renewable energy firm? Can my servers be purchased with the ultra low voltage processors. Going forward, could I have a follow the sun infrastructure, with a follow the sun applications? The infrastructure and the applications move around the globe, following the lowest energy costs, but with the most convenient support teams?  Have London support and provide the IT for Singapore during their business day when energy costs are lower in London?

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