Data centers built in wind turbines could help solve renewable curtailment

A new German company came up with the idea of placing data centers within wind turbines, and tackling several energy problems at once.

Data centers are currently responsible for 1.5% of the world’s total electricity consumption. About 8,000 of them currently exist, with the number increasing each year as demand for digital services also grows.

Furthermore, data centers take up large spaces, while the hollow body of wind turbines offers large areas that in their greater part remain empty.

Characteristically, each wind turbine tower could host server racks within its hollow body, reaching potentially up to 150 meters in height, and exceeding 10 meters in diameter.

In addition to the aforementioned, power losses occur while transporting electricity from a generator, and the amount of energy lost increases with travel distance.

One more issue is curtailment, which is the deliberate reduction of electricity output that sometimes needs to take place in order to balance electricity supply and demand.

Curtailment poses a serious problem with renewable energy, as the amount of electricity produced by it greatly varies due to unpredictable weather conditions, leading to generated energy sometimes going to waste.

Moreover, placing energy and space demanding data centers in wind turbines, and power them with the electricity produced on site seems to be a perfect fit.

This way, energy transportation losses are minimized, and when curtailment is required, the data centers will be on site to utilize the excess energy produced.