Bach Seat

The venerable diesel backup generator has long been a symbol of reliability for mission-critical installations. Backup generators provide the emergency power required to keep servers online during utility power outages. Data Center Knowledge reports that the growing focus on using clean energy to power large data centers is prompting Microsoft (MSFT) and other tech titans to ditch their generators, along with their diesel fuel emissions.

Microsoft is the latest company to announce its intention to cut its use of diesel generators. The move is part of a broader initiative to make Microsoft’s server farms more sustainable and less reliant on the utility grid according to DCK. Microsoft Utility Architect Brian Janous wrote in a recent blog post.

We are currently exploring alternative backup energy options that would allow us to provide emergency power without the need for diesel generators, which in some cases will mean transitioning to cleaner-burning natural gas and in other cases, eliminating the need for backup generation altogether.

DKC speculates that the reference to natural gas suggests that Microsoft is preparing to add fuel cells to replace its generators. That could be good news for Bloom Energy,  which recently scored wins to replace generators and UPS units at new data centers of eBay (EBAY) in Utah and supplement power Apple‘s (AAPL) data center in North Carolina.

DCK explains the Bloom Energy Server is a solid oxide fuel cell technology that converts fuel to electricity through an electrochemical reaction, without any combustion. The Bloom box can continue to run during grid outages because they are housed at the customer premises. Bloom boxes can run on natural gas or a range of other biofuels, including methane gas from landfills.

Another reason MSFT may be replacing generators according to DCK is that they have caused Redmond several headaches in recent years, including an Azure cloud outage in Europe (when multiple generators didn’t start during a utility outage) and public controversy about whether the diesel emissions from Microsoft’s generators in Quincy, WA could cause health problems for local residents. Diesel engine exhaust is a regulated pollutant and can be toxic in high concentrations.

Or Microsoft’s motivation could be to become less dependent on the utility grid and use renewable energy to power its servers the blog says. The company says its “data plants” will break new ground in integrating electricity and computing, bring together data centers and renewable power generation.

One type of renewable energy Microsoft has explored is a waste-powered data center. It could be built on the site of a water treatment plant or landfill. In his blog post, Janous indicated that Microsoft is evaluating a biomass project in Europe (rb- I wrote HP’s plan to use manure to run a data center here).

“Given the unreliability of the electric grid and the need for continuous availability of cloud services, Microsoft maintains diesel generator backup at all of our data centers…” Janous wrote. “These generators are inefficient and costly to operate. From both an environmental and a cost standpoint, it makes no sense to run our generators more than we absolutely must.”

Microsoft is also considering “long-term purchases from larger grid-connected installations that would displace some portion of our grid purchases,” Janous wrote. Google (GOOG) has embraced a similar strategy, using power purchasing agreements to add more than 200 megawatts of wind power to the local utility grids that support its data centers.

Microsoft is taking steps to position itself to make bulk power deals according to DCK. “We have recently signed on as an advisory board member with Altenex, an operator of a network that enables member companies to more efficiently engage with developers of renewable energy projects,” Janous said. “We expect this engagement with Altenex to improve our ability to identify and evaluate cost-effective clean energy projects.”

rb-

I recall as a newbie techie the first time I had to be in on Sunday morning to work with the site engineer to crank up the 100 HP Cummins standby generator. The firm ran the monthly test to make sure the critical systems stayed up. The generator was enclosed in a secure room that contained the heat and noise. The exhaust was vented out. One of my regular jobs was to kick the standby 55-gallon drum of diesel with the hand pump on it to make sure there was fuel available for the generator.

Related articles

• Google powers a data center with wind for the first time (gigaom.com)

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.