Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) provides the opportunity for applications that were barely imaginable just a short time ago. But where will the huge amount computing power required for this come from? And how will our power grids cope with the huge energy requirements of the data centres?
These were crucial questions asked by WestfalenWind. So they created windCORES; climate-neutral, sustainable and economical data centres placed directly at the foot of wind turbines. This is revolutionary stuff!
These sustainable data centres use green electricity directly where it is generated - often from excess capacity that would otherwise go unused. Rittal is supplying the complete infrastructure for WestfalenWind IT, including three security rooms, IT racks, climate control, independent power supply (UPS) and monitoring.
The prospects offered by GenAI seem enormous. In June 2023, McKinsey predicted that the increase in productivity brought about by GenAI could add between USD 2.6 and 4.4 trillion a year to the global economy. The analysts at Omdia assume that GenAI will increase energy demand tenfold over the next five years.
"It has long been clear to WestfalenWIND that we need to use every opportunity to offer computing power in a climate-friendly way," says Dr Fiete Dubberke, Managing Director of WestfalenWIND IT.
"WindCORES is a good example of how the digital transformation and the energy transition can inspire each other technologically and economically if they are understood as a holistic transformation," adds Michael Nicolai, Head of Rittal IT Sales in Germany: "That's why we were immediately impressed by WestfalenWIND's idea and accepted the technical challenge for the entire data centre infrastructure at this unusual location."
From pilot project to real industry standard
The pilot project won the German Data Centre Award in 2019. Now it has become a scalable industrial project. A major car manufacturer is moving extensive applications to a WindCORES data centre with 50 racks.
In the future, high-performance computing for AI and GenAI as well as simulations for autonomous driving will be run there in a climate-neutral manner. The centre is being implemented in a colocation model with an IT service provider. At Rittal, we’ve engineered our data centre infrastructure to be perfect for diverse environments, from industrial settings to colocation sites and even outdoor applications, making our solutions the perfect solution for this challenge. The adaptability and robust performance of our IT infrastructure makes it a reliable and risk-free option to keep IT running smoothly, despite ever-changing technologies.
Making better use of wind power
"The data centre uses over 90% wind power and exploits synergies to save resources across the board. The installation and integration into wind turbines utilises existing infrastructure and the building, such as the secure reinforced concrete tower and existing infrastructure for electricity and grid connection," explains Dubberke. Thanks to the direct supply of wind power, windCORES' electricity costs are well below the market average. In many situations, the data centre runs on electricity that would otherwise remain unused because the grids cannot absorb it.
"Rittal relies on highly standardised infrastructure. With the actual implementation for the automotive industry, a climate-neutral data centre is available as an industry standard that can be quickly scaled for further applications in other wind turbines. This allows us to accelerate the expansion of climate-neutral IT infrastructure," says Nicolai.
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The Information Technology sector is in a period of profound change. Revolutionary advancements like generative AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) have ushered in an era of unparalleled complexity and rapid transformation. IT directors across industries face immense pressure to navigate this evolving terrain.