| Press Release Archive
Energy experts to explore options derived
by growth of data centers
Data centers are consuming large amounts
of electricity in high-tech areas such as Austin, Seattle
and the Silicon Valley. But can data centers be designed to
be more energy-efficient, and can the standby generating power
they require to ensure reliability be used for the benefit
of others?
Those questions and more will be explored
next week by some of the leading energy experts in the country
as they gather in Austin to discuss how data centers are affecting
the industry. The group will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday,
Feb. 12, and Tuesday, Feb, 13, at Town Lake Center, 721 Barton
Springs Road.
Data centers or "server farms"
house the computers and equipment that run e-commerce and
Web sites throughout the world. But data centers require large
amounts of electricity - more than a typical semiconductor
manufacturing plant - to keep temperatures at a constant 72
degrees and thousands of computers running around the clock.
The challenge for the electric industry
is to determine whether new technologies such as fuel cells,
micro turbines, flywheels and thermal storage can power data
centers more efficiently, and what affect these technologies
have on the environment and the future of electric grids.
Known as distributive generation - or stand-alone
electric generation dedicated to a specific customer - these
technologies are seen as a new wave that may someday usher
in dramatic changes to the electric industry.
But can we begin to apply these technologies
to improve energy efficiency? And can the technologies be
tied to existing grids to benefit others and reduce the cost
of developing more power plants? Can Austin be the urban laboratory
for these efforts? These issues will be discussed when considering
options for a model data center.
Editor's note: Representatives with Austin
Energy and manufacturers of new technology will be available
for interviews.
For more information, contact Ed
Clark, Public Information.
Phone: (512) 322-6514
Pager: (512) 802-2000
|
