microsoftservers1.jpg

Microsoft is planning to make its data centers a little greener. They will be powering its rack with built-in fuel cells.

The company explained that it is going to test racks powered by integrated fuel cells. The methane-powered fuel cells could eliminate power distribution systems and even server-level power supplies, making them massively more efficient.

The goal here is to be entirely independent of the electricity grid. Sean James from Microsoft explains in a blog post:
“The main distinction between this data plant concept and previous architecture ideas is the notion of bringing the power plant inside the data center, instead of putting the data center in the power plant. A lot of energy is lost in today’s data center energy supply chain. We show how integrating a small generator with the IT hardware significantly cuts complexity by eliminating all the electrical distribution in the grid and data center.”
The concept is still in its early stages for now but it does look promising. Will the idea gain traction? [Microsoft via Data Center Knowledge]

Image by Microsoft