ASHRAE Journal - October 2019 - 8

INDUSTRY NEWS

DATA CENTERS INNOVATIONS

LOS ALTOS, CALIF.-Innovative developments

for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware
come with the challenge of increased
heat loads, which will require changes
in how data centers are designed and
cooled. A new AI chip, called the Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE), is the
largest chip ever designed at 9 in. (229

mm) wide. It uses 15 kW of power and
puts out an enormous amount of heat,
so engineers came up with a different approach to cooling. The WSE will
include a liquid cooling system with a
cold plate fed by a series of pipes, and
the chip will be positioned vertically to
cool the whole surface of the chip.

CEREBRAS SYSTEMS

AI Chips Reshape Data Center Design, Cooling

The Wafer-Scale Engine (WSE) is the
largest chip hardware in the world.

FRAMINGHAM, MASS. -Edge data centers re-

quire an enormous amount of electricity
to run, so research is finding better ways
of producing this energy. Blue energy,
also called osmotic power, is produced

by mixing freshwater and saltwater. A
new battery that uses blue energy could
produce enough energy to power data
centers without using electricity from
the grid.

DOC SEARLS/ FLICKR

Blue Energy Could Provide Cheap, Eco-Friendly Power

Using ocean water to power and
cool data centers could significantly
cut costs.

INDUSTRY ROUNDUP
Massachusetts Incentivizes
Energy Storage Systems
BOSTON-Massachusetts is the first state

in the U.S. to incentivize behindthe-meter battery storage by providing new tools and resources for a
program to offer customers pay-forperformance programs. The recent
order by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) allows
utility companies to pay customers
who agree to rely on energy storage
systems and dispatch energy during
peak events.

Seattle Proposal Would Convert
Homes From Oil to Electric Heat
SEATTLE-The mayor of Seattle is

proposing to convert thousands
of oil-heated homes to electric
heat as part of the city's goal to be
carbon neutral by 2050. There are
about 18,000 oil-heated homes in
Seattle. Converting these to electricity is expected to reduce the

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city's climate emissions by 433,000
metric tons over 10 years.

Connecticut to Build World's
Largest Indoor Fuel Microgrid
NEW BRITAIN, CONN.-A Connecticut company intends to build a microgrid
that spans 45,000 ft2 (4 180.6 m2)
on the site of a closed Stanley Black
& Decker manufacturing plant.
The 20-MW fuel cell microgrid is
predicted to be the world's largest
indoor-fuel cell system. It will be
grid-connected and be able to run
autonomously.

Can the U.S. Reduce Its Building
CO2 Emissions 80% by 2050?
BERKELEY, CALIF.-The U.S. Mid Century

Strategy (MCS) set a 2050 goal to
reduce the country's emissions by
80%, relative to 2005 levels. The
building sector accounts for 36% of
the country's carbon release. New
research evaluates the feasibility of

O C T O B E R 2 0 19

reducing the volume of CO2 emissions. Findings show that coupling
efficiency with a low-carbon electricity supply and end use electrification are some strategies to come
close to the goal.

New Roadmap Shows How
Cities Can Invest in Energy
Savings
LAKEWOOD, COLO.-American cities

can use a new NREL report as a
roadmap to target energy savings programs and investments.
The "Preparing for a City-Scale
Building Energy Upgrade Analysis:
A Case Study for New York City"
report outlines how New York City
has planned a citywide building
stock analysis to figure out where
to invest in energy savings. The
report acts as a case study for other
cities on how to improve energy
savings at the individual building
and system level.

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ASHRAE Journal - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - October 2019