Cows and data centers may seem unnatural partners.
However, researchers at HP Labs argue that both entities can be aligned to
create a sustainable lifecycle.
According
to HP Labs, the average dairy cow produces about 55 kg of manure per day,
and approximately 20 metric tons per year. The manure that one dairy cow
produces in a day can generate 3.0 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electrical
energy.
A
medium-sized dairy farm with 10,000 cows produces about 200,000 metric
tons of manure per year. This farm can fulfill the power requirements of a
medium sized 1 megawatt (MW) data center.
The
heat generated by the data center need not be wasted. Instead, it can be
used to break down animal waste which results in the production of
methane.
Methane
can then be used to generate power for the data center.
HP Labs researchers say that this symbiotic relationship
allows the waste problems faced by dairy farms and the energy demands of the
modern data center to be addressed in a sustainable manner.
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