While pouring the floor in Microsoft's new Quincy data center, the construction company found that it presented a health and safety issue because of the diesel exhaust.
Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos confirmed that the construction company is using biodiesel at the Quincy, Wash., site. "It smells like you're in a fast-food restaurant in there," he said. Biodiesel, which in this case is made from the same type of oil that is often used in restaurant fryers, can let off a scent similar to fried food when it's burned in engines. The first building there is now finished, he said.This is the largest Microsoft data center yet, and it plans on running on hydro-electric power. I think I will setup a Google alert for the phrase "carbon footprint"....that seems to be favored by many journalists and press release writers.
Check out the InfoWorld article here.
1 comment:
I love the smell of BioDiesel. I'm a home-brewer (when I'm not at work, running a datacenter) and in fact just came back into the house after partial completion of the calibration of my newly built processor out in the barn. I collect waste oil from restaurants, process it, and use it to power our family cars. People often get into my car and say "Mmmmm... what's that smell?" ;)
Unfortunately I can't make enough to fuel our backup generator. My processing and storage capabilities can not match the thirst of the 16-cylinder twin-turbocharged monsters that supply our facility. Someday it will be commercially available in the quantities we require.
I wonder if any sunbelt datacenter operators have considered a straight veggie oil solution using solar power to pre-heat the fuel supply. It would not work here in cloudy western Washington, but in places like Arizona or Texas it would be very easy to do.
--chuck
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