Microsoft Turns Eco-friendly; Plans Biogas Data Center by March 2013

Microsoft is focusing on green innovations, and in a big way. The makers of the world’s most popular PC OS are planning to build a data center powered by biogas in Wyoming, U.S. in March 2013. If this succeeds, it will not just make data centers more environment-friendly, but also make them less dependent on traditional power grids for operations.
The experimental data center will get its power from a 300kW fuel cell which will use biogas from a waste water treatment plant for the power. This data center will earn the distinction of being the world’s first “zero carbon data center”.
This initiative was announced by Sean James, a senior research project manager. Microsoft intends to use up the biogas produced at waste water treatment plants to power their data centers as this source of energy is usually burned away, as it is uneconomical to harness it. However, since Microsoft’s revolutionary data center will be built next to this water treatment facility, it would be able to capture the energy from the biogas into its fuel cell for power conveniently.
If this experiment succeeds, Microsoft would consider building more data centers closer to other water treatment facilities with the same vision. Data centers are used to house computers, telecommunication systems, and storage systems in a single facility. The need for data centers continues to increase and technology companies are constantly innovating for more energy efficient and eco-friendly data center designs.