Increasing demand for data putting energy and water supplies at risk

Global electricity demand from data centres is expected to double by 2026 with billions of litres of water needed to cool servers.
Sky News has gained exclusive access to the world's second largest data hub in Slough to find out more.
Sky's Science and Technology Editor, Tom Clarke reports.
Read more: news.sky.com/story/what-does-...
#data #datademand #slough #datacentre #AI #energy #power
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[@harryjones5260]

would have thought they could have picked somewhere higher above sea level than slough

[@widescreen8964]

Why aren't they piping that heat into Slough homes?

[@eddy66t6]

Because UK tends to have more of the smaller providers rather than a few of the bigger ones. Because of that it's less efficient and more difficult to coordinate

[@deano_bites]

Uk population expected to reach 7.5 million by 2050, UK resources running dry such a dire future the country has education system failing with it

[@FrostByteVoyager]

Hopefully not with these declining rates.

[@lecturesfromleeds614]

And we still haven't fully paid for Brexit! The worst austerity is yet to come

[@Fjprints]

By 2050 that’s a bit far off to make a prediction like and the population of the uk is already 67 million. 😂

[@jacksanderson7841]

@@Fjprints I think he thinks, a lot of people are going to die.

[@jamess1787]

Embrace the tech, build huge lakes, cool the datacenters.

[@nrgdigital-garywilkie3997]

500ml of water for 1 interaction with ChatGPT? I don’t believe her 😮

[@lw9515]

0.02 😂 Huh?? What an opening. Used to live near there and sure, it was bad but weird to hear on skynews.

[@GK-qc5ry]

4000 homes! And they said Bitcoin was bad, this is gonna be worse.

[@harryjones5260]

ah yes, the famously luke-warm water, from Amazon

[@roxy806]

Isn't that what they put in those prime drinks hence the name? 😂😂😂

[@lokesh303101]

Computing Requirements.

[@lecturesfromleeds614]

I heard they were planning to use the excess heat to warm local houses?

[@horrnett]

why can't we use ea water when available

[@aqelixenergy]

Aqelix energy will power the future energy requirements and provide consistent, reliable, renewable energy

[@mohammedkkiani5353]

Information is power.

[@user-ge4yt8lv8h]

Energy consumption going to less after ARM base server gets in picture.

[@GK-qc5ry]

Maybe if the system stays still. In reality data centres will continue to grow

[@GeorgeHeard27]

Data and AI tech could be the open door the UK needs to boost its global status and productivity puzzle. Yet, can this happen without affecting the population's water and energy needs?

[@bldrxyz9499]

no

[@tlangdon12]

Yes. The populations water and energy needs will continue to fall as electical devices become more efficient and as homes become better insulated. Better ways of storing electricity and heat will become common place.

[@roxy806]

Its allright...in 10 years we will figure out fusion and everything will be fine

[@ValidatingUsername]

If only someone had a concept for using water to cool the next generation of data and computation centres and use the heat to warm the nursery beds for indoor greenhouses 😊😂

[@tlangdon12]

Water-cooled computers have been around since the 1951. Moving the heat to somewhere that wants to pay for it is the problem. Few people want to pay for what they see as a 'waste' product but unless someone is prepared to pay, there is no money to pay for the pipes to move the heat.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Scottish Highlands has cooler temperatures, loads of water and lots of electricity.

[@ConradY2K]

logistically not suitable

[@marksedgley2489]

and no carriers ;)

[@mahohall]

Each person has a data foot print..if the majority of people want big data to stop then go back to post mail and a landline phone.

[@Oliver_Saer]

Your post mail which is scanned several times as it's processed by machines in a mailing hub and your landline phone which has been disconnected from the old analogue phone lines and instead runs over VoIP (or whatever your ISP decided to rebrand it as to dress it up as their own innovation).

[@tlangdon12]

The decision makers aren't ordinary people. It is the excutive teams at companies that innovate that are driving the additional capacity demands. If the want the power, let them pay the true cost of generating and distributing it.

[@bonzita23]

Lol this is not true IP center of world is Frankfurt

[@TG-ts3xn]

Uncontrolled and unwanted population increases

[@stequality]

Exactly !

[@julianshepherd2038]

So not a lack of investment in infrastructure? People arrived and went to work and paid taxes but nothing was put back in. Woolworths economics.

[@damianbutterworth2434]

@@julianshepherd2038 They just want to ride round on pushbike in my City. One came to our factory and lasted a week.

[@poorfordtransitowner1627]

Were an island race. Surely someone has realised

[@---ROWLEY---]

Turn it all off! haha

[@s_u_n_j_a_y]

😋

[@Tamanna7368]

Move data center to antertica