Analysis tool to support the design of green data centers in cold Canadian climates

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This project will develop a mathematical analysis tool to compute energy and material balances, and predict the capital and operating costs for different proposed design combination for a green data center, fish farming and photo-bioreactor operating in cold Canadian climates. By applying industrial symbiosis, the model will be applied to achieve cost reductions by reutilizing common ancillary services associated with the operation of these three processes that have marginal economics when operated individually. By utilizing local renewable energy resources like wind, solar, biomass and cold air, green data centers will be investigated as a means to operate off-grid. Taking southern Manitoba climate as a base location with its cold winter temperatures, high wind capacity factor, and one of the highest solar insolation in Canada, the model will seek to self-generate its energy requirements to qualify the green data center as off-grid and operate at a Tier IV redundancy level. The mathematical model will seek costs reduction in utilizing waste heat from computers to heat fish tanks and photo-biological reactors; fish wastes to feed algae; and algae cakes to feed fish. Once developed, the model will be used to indentify 40% costs reduction in each process to provide a competitive advantage to operate green data centers in cold Canadian climates. The proposed model is an important component for designing an experimental scaled green data center test facility undertaken by Function Four.