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Re: WSJ: Big tech firms seeking power

  • From: Alex Rubenstein
  • Date: Fri Jun 16 21:26:35 2006


When I made my posting, I didn't know the context was google in Oregon. I missed that somehow.

Anyway, the dam referenced below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalles_Dam

And the power generated from the region:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectric_dams_on_the_Columbia_River

Seems like a good place to setup a datacenter.




On Fri, 16 Jun 2006, Jeff Shultz wrote:

David Lesher wrote:

Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:



I wonder just how much power it takes to cool 450,000 servers.



.....



KwH = $111,000 /month in cooling.



I don't know the area; but gather it's hydro territory?

How about water-source heat pumps? It's lots easier to cool
25C air into say 10-15C water than into 30C outside air.

Open loop water source systems do have their issues [algae, etc]
but can save a lot of power....






The Dalles, OR is on the Columbia River just upriver of Portland by 80 miles
or so. It has a large dam spanning what used to be Celilo Falls in it's front
yard.



Hydro territory doesn't even begin to define it... :-)



"Eco-freak" territory also doesn't begin to define it, so the idea of piping
water off the Columbia and returning it even 1/2 degree warmer is a
non-starter.



I'm amazed they let them put up tall cooling towers in "the historic, scenic
Columbia River Gorge...." (sorry, old political battle flashback)




--
Alex Rubenstein, AR97, K2AHR, [email protected], latency, Al Reuben
Net Access Corporation, 800-NET-ME-36, http://www.nac.net