Update on the Proposed Scientific Research Computing Facility:
If all the electricity used for the computers used on campus could be aggregated together, the total would make this sector one of the largest users of electric power on campus. If you add to that the additional cooling and fan usage to cool those computers, this power total ranks very near the top power user on campus.
With the sea change of research moving from interpolation and empirical bench work toward more simulation and specific approximation, computers are a growing critical component for campus researchers. Thus while many groups are working to find ways to cut back on energy use in many dimensions, the main mission of campus, to do cutting edge research, is actually growing in the energy demand to accomplish that research.
How could a new facility actually help this predicament? The proposed Scientific Research Computing Facility will actually help with these issues. It is true that we can't do any magic to limit the electrical power used by the many computers it will house, we can do work to minimize the additional energy needed to cool and maintain those servers in an operational state.
This talk will highlight the proposed building features which allow this modern architected building to operate as efficiently as possible while still consuming large amounts of electrical power in support of research agendas.