Description: Larger companies have recently shown initiative in reducing the power requirements of their server rooms. Similarly, more and more home-brewed setups working on sustainable energy, i.e., sunlight have begun to surface. How much can we reduce the power requirements without affecting reliability and performance? What is the sweet spot for reduced power consumption vs. drawbacks?

The student can either concentrate in server room environments or home equipment, if enough material is found. If not, a combination of the two can be worked out under the same topic.

Background:

• Intel Shows Data Centers Can Get By (Mostly) With Little AC, http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/18/1938251
• "Follow the moon concept", start by googling
• Earth Notes: A Note On Setting Up the SheevaPlug Linux Plug Computer, http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-SheevaPlug-setup.html

Skills needed:

• Some knowledge in physics, i.e., thermal energy, energy requirements, air / fluid flow.
• Earlier initiative into building cool & quiet computer systems definitive plus
• Earlier experience with server environments definitive plus

Focus:

• Theory 3/5
• Coding / Implementation 2/5 or 5/5, depending if student is willing to actually build working systems
• Reading 4/5, original research into an evolving field needed