New Computer Gate Can Make Server Farms More Energy Efficient

January 22nd, 2011 by Tina Casey

Computer servers and data centers burn through a big chunk of power in the U.S., so boosting the energy efficiency of computers is a national priority when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at North Carolina State University just might have found a way to push the effort up to the next level. They’ve come up with an energy efficient memory device that combines two functions, by packing two “floating gates” into one.

Floating Gates and Memory Devices

In conventional computing, there are two kinds of memory devices. One kind is used to store data. It employs a “floating gate” as a placeholder for the 1 or 0 that makes up one bit of data. It holds onto that bit even when the computer is off. A second device is used to perform operations. It stores data while the operation is running, but loses it when the computer is shut down.

Doubling Floating Gates and Energy Efficiency

The North Carolina team calls its new memory device the Double Floating-gate Effect Transistor. Instead of a single gate, it contains one for long term data storage, and one to perform operations. The advantages for energy efficiency are significant. Individual computers could boot up immediately, and large server farms could be powered down during low-use periods, and powered back up during peak periods.

Many Paths to More Efficient Computers

One question regarding double-gate technology is durability, but the research team is confident that the new device will hold up. In the mean time, advances in energy efficiency are moving forward on other fronts. One example is Yahoo’s infamous “chicken coop” data center, which reduced energy costs by about 40 percent simply by using ambient air to help cool the servers. A data center in California uses a similar high efficiency cooling system combined with elaborate water conservation measures, and researchers at federal laboratories are also working on energy-saving cooling strategies.

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Tags: computers, data centers, floating gates, North Carolina State University, server farms

About the Author

Tina Casey Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.

http://www.therealtimsmith.com Tim Smith

I manage servers in 3 large data centers so I feel the need to chime in here. There’s two giant leaps in energy efficiency that are greatly reducing power demands. The first is the move from full sized servers to blades. I can currently consolidate 6 350W servers from 4 or 5 years ago onto a single blade server at 120W (nearly 2Kw savings). The second gain is from the virtualization of servers, which further consolidates servers. Several hundred low use servers with different spikes in use can be consolidated on just a few dozen blade servers and a small storage system. There’s a huge gain in efficiency when you normalize the spikes in load on servers. Combine both of these and you’re looking at an enormous gain in efficiency. It’s all coming, but things tend to take a while.
- Tina Casey
  
  Tim, thanks for adding the new information.
Frank Hanlan

From this article it is also clear that it is important where server farms are located just as it is for an energy efficient building considering all the goods and services and possibly employees that have to get to and from the building.