It's well known that Google operates some of the most efficient data centers on the planet. Now, the company is adding a new weapon to its arsenal for keeping data centers running cool without breaking the bank on energy costs.
A $300 million data center expected to go online in Taiwan in the second half of 2013 will use thermal energy storage to keep equipment cool during the day, reserving the use of air conditioning for nighttime, when power doesn't cost as much, according to an article in Data Center Knowledge.
"During daytime hours, when demand on the grid is higher and electricity is more expensive, [users of thermal storage] can tap the energy storage system, which serves as a 'battery' that substitutes for the air conditioner," Data Center Knowledge writes. "Thermal storage systems typically use ice or liquid coolant that can be chilled and then used in heat exchange systems."
Google announced the new data center last September, and started building it yesterday. It will employ 25 permanent staff members, plus contractors, and be built on 15 hectares (37 acres) of land. Thermal energy storage units can be bought from vendors such as Ice Energy, and have been used at non-Google data centers (such as an i/o Data Centers facility in Arizona) for at least several years. This will be Google's first use of thermal energy storage.
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