Time to Take Your Server for a Swim?
While it might look odd, immersing servers in a non-conductive liquid is a dramatically more efficient method of heat transfer than traditional computer room air conditioning. Globally, data centers use over 200 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, 40 percent of which is used for cooling. A switch to immersion cooling could save 70 terawatt-hours of electric usage globally. It also makes it much easier to time-shift demand by cooling excess fluid during peak renewable generation times and using that extra cold fluid during low-renewable generation.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
J Scott Christianson
University of Missouri-Columbia