Speakers
Description
At EPFL, the EcoCloud research center is at the forefront of both IT for sustainability and sustainability in IT. Among its flagships initiatives, HeatingBits — funded by EPFL Solutions 4 Sustainability— unites six EPFL laboratories and EcoCloud to develop and experimentally validate an holistic approach to datacenter design and operation optimized for minimal carbon footprint and seamless interaction with local energy systems.
HeatingBits combines (a) energy efficient data centers design based on an DC/DC energy distribution system and on-chip cooling for higher performance and life cycle of the CPUs/GPUs, and (b) carbon- and market-aware optimal control of its assets, such as PVs and battery energy storage systems, considering real-time carbon-intensity estimation of power grid electricity. Heat generated by computation is recovered through an innovative direct liquid cooling technology featuring custom micro-channel cold plates tailored for high-temperature operation, at approximately 75°C, significantly enhancing heat-recovery value while increasing computing performance.
The project implements a dual-season heat-reuse strategy: supplying EPFL’s central heating network in winter and driving a custom Organic Rankine Cycle system for cogeneration in summer, converting heat in electricity. EcoCloud experimental facility—ideally located next to EPFL’s primary research datacenter and directly above the campus heating infrastructure—serves as a living lab for next-generation sustainable computing, with a particular focus on IT cooling technologies like direct liquid and immersion cooling.