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Networked computing systems for bio-diversity and environmental preservation.
A A Periola1, A A Alonge2, K A Ogudo2
1Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. aaperiola@uj.ac.za.
Scientific Reports
|March 1, 2022
Summary
This study introduces a hybrid computing platform to reduce the significant water footprint of computing. This approach lowers water potential (WP), crucial for biodiversity preservation and habitat protection.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Computer Engineering
- Sustainable Computing
Background:
- Computing platforms exhibit a substantial water footprint, threatening biodiversity and reducing water availability for habitat preservation.
- There is a critical need for innovative approaches to mitigate the water consumption of computational infrastructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and evaluate a hybrid computing platform designed to minimize the water requirements of future computing systems.
- To introduce and apply the water potential (WP) metric for quantifying and comparing the water efficiency of computing platforms.
Main Methods:
- Development of a hybrid computing model integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial components.
- Performance evaluation using a novel water potential (WP) metric, quantifying cooling water needs.
- Stochastic simulation and performance formulation to assess the WP metric.
Main Results:
- The hybrid computing platform significantly reduces the water potential (WP) compared to traditional water-cooled data centers.
- Reductions in WP ranged from 4.9% to 93% on average, demonstrating substantial water savings.
- A lower WP indicates reduced water demand and improved environmental performance.
Conclusions:
- Hybrid computing platforms offer a viable solution for reducing the environmental impact of data centers.
- The water potential (WP) metric effectively quantifies the water efficiency of computing infrastructure.
- Adoption of hybrid systems is recommended for sustainable computing and biodiversity preservation.
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