By: Mj de Castro

Data centers have become ubiquitous in modern life. As of 2023, there were over 10,900 data center locations worldwide. These facilities power everything from search engines, e-commerce platforms, cloud services, and artificial intelligence applications.  

However, these digital powerhouses come with a massive environmental cost due to the enormous amount of heat they produce as a byproduct. Combatting this is not easy. These facilities employ extensive cooling systems, which contribute to operational expenses. Its carbon footprint is also substantial. 

The AI City Project is here to challenge this norm, proving that the next significant tech movement might sprout from the most unexpected places.

The facility offers an advanced greenhouse solution that Visual Link and Teklium developed. It captures carbon dioxide (CO2) and excess heat from data centers or coal-based power plants. It also converts coal ash or natural gas into fertilizer for growing vegetation. The goal? To achieve net-zero emissions.

AI City could explore the potential of using waste heat from data centers to support large-scale greenhouse operations. For instance, a 100-acre greenhouse maintained at 120 degrees Fahrenheit might be capable of producing significant amounts of food, highlighting a possible sustainable solution for food production.

Emission Issues of Data Centers Amid AI Growth

Data centers face massive hurdles in mitigating emissions and reducing their environmental impact. 

For one, the continuous growth in demand for data processing and storage drives the need for more robust and energy-intensive equipment. This often outpaces improvements in energy efficiency, making it difficult for data centers to achieve net reductions in emissions. 

Another obstacle is the upfront costs of transitioning to renewable energy sources and implementing advanced cooling technologies. Many organizations, especially smaller ones, may struggle with the financial investment required for these sustainability initiatives. 

Lastly, some organizations’ lack of awareness or prioritization of environmental concerns may lead to insufficient commitment to emissions reduction strategies. 

The Role of CO2 In AI City’s Data Center Agriculture

Photosynthesis needs CO2 for plants to convert light into chemical energy, fueling their growth and productivity. In a typical greenhouse, the ambient CO2 concentration is around 400 parts per million (ppm). 

However, this level can drop notably during the day due to plant uptake, sometimes falling to as low as 150-200 ppm in sealed greenhouses. This depletion can severely limit plant growth and productivity, making CO2 enrichment a valuable strategy for greenhouse operators.

The advantages of CO2 enrichment in greenhouses are well-documented. Studies have shown that doubling the ambient CO2 concentration to around 700-800 ppm can lead to a noticeable increase in plant yield. 

Research suggests that CO2 enrichment may contribute to higher crop yields for various vegetables, including peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. This technique has also shown potential benefits for certain plants, particularly dicot species like geraniums, petunias, and pansies.

Due to their photosynthetic pathway, these plants are more responsive to higher CO2 concentrations, allowing them to capitalize on the increased carbon availability more effectively than C4 plants.

Moreover, CO2 enrichment can influence crop yields and may enhance certain qualities of produce grown in greenhouses. In some cases, higher CO2 levels have been associated with changes in the size, color, and flavor of fruits and vegetables.

Studies on tomatoes grown under CO2 enrichment have reported better fruit quality, including increased levels of health-promoting compounds and organoleptic properties. 

Additionally, CO2 enrichment can lead to more uniform crop development and water use efficiency, as plants require less water for transpiration under elevated CO2 conditions.

The impact of CO2 enrichment is not limited to yield and quality. It can also influence the overall growth rate and development of plants. 

Research has shown that plants grown under elevated CO2 conditions often exhibit faster growth rates, earlier maturity, and increased biomass production. This accelerated growth can allow greenhouse operators to harvest crops earlier or increase the number of crop cycles per year. 

Furthermore, CO2 enrichment has been found to do wonders for the plants’ resistance to certain biotic and abiotic stresses, potentially reducing the need for pesticides and improving overall crop resilience.

“The demand for both computing power and sustainable food sources continues to grow daily so this integrated strategy offers a promising path toward a more environmentally friendly and productive future for agriculture,” shares Jason Ho, founder and chief executive officer of Teklium.

Can Greenhouses and Data Centers Like the AI City Coexist? 

Building greenhouses adjacent to data centers like the AI City presents an opportunity to create a symbiotic relationship between technology and agriculture. 

Waste heat from industrial processes, including data centers, has the potential to reduce greenhouse heating costs, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional heating methods. This can lead to lower operational expenses and support more sustainable farming practices by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.

Waste heat from industrial processes, such as data centers, has the potential to reduce greenhouse heating costs. This can help lower operational expenses and support more sustainable farming practices by decreasing the use of traditional heating methods that rely on fossil fuels.

Capturing and redirecting these emissions to greenhouses creates a closed-loop system. This procedure benefits the environment, as CO2 is essential for plant growth. It also enhances crop production.

Teklium and Visual Link’s AI City project directly addresses the environmental impact of data centers and creates a value-added solution that turns a waste product into a valuable resource for agriculture. This could change both industries and contribute to more sustainable food production systems.

The AI City Technology

The AI City aims to implement heat management and reduce CO2 emissions. Two key initiatives stand out here. The first uses Carbon Nanotube (CNT) materials developed by Teklium for heat conduction. The second uses hydrogen batteries from Teklium for energy storage. 

The former represents a significant invention in data center heat management. Its materials exhibit thermal conductivity up to 1000 times greater than copper, making them exceptional at dissipating heat. 

“The structure of CNTs consists of cylindrical carbon molecules,” Ho explains. “This allows for rapid heat transfer along their length. As a result, data centers can manage thermal loads more effectively, reducing the energy required for cooling systems.”

Implementing CNT-based heat dissipation systems in the AI City could improve energy efficiency. Conducting heat away from servers and other equipment maintains optimal operating temperatures with less reliance on traditional cooling methods. This could result in reduced power consumption for cooling, which typically accounts for 30% to 55% of a data center’s total energy use. 

Furthermore, the superior heat conductivity of CNTs in the AI City also allows for more compact server designs, increasing the computing power density within data centers while minimizing thermal management challenges.

In addition to their thermal properties, CNTs offer advantages that make them well-suited for data center applications. They are lightweight, durable, and have a long lifespan, potentially lasting up to a hundred years. This longevity lessens the need for frequent replacements of heat management components, further improving the sustainability of data center operations. 

The Teklium founder adds that its impressive list of features includes its ability to function in harsh environments and withstand extreme temperatures. “They are resilient in various operating conditions.“

The second key technology employed in Visual Link and Teklium’s AI City project is the use of hydrogen batteries for energy storage. The hydrogen batteries use excess renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. Operators then store the hydrogen and can convert it back into electricity using fuel cells when needed. 

The process allows data centers to capture and store energy during peak production times, such as when it is sunny or windy, and use it during low production times or high demand periods. According to the Ho, this maximizes the use of renewable energy and minimizes dependence on grid power.

Not only that but storing excess energy generated from renewable sources such as solar panels and wind turbines enables data centers to use clean energy even when these sources are not actively producing power. 

This system helps balance the intermittent nature of renewable energy production, providing a consistent and reliable power supply while minimizing reliance on non-renewable sources like fuel. 

Overall, integrating hydrogen batteries with renewable energy sources creates a more flexible power system for data centers, particularly in providing reliable backup power sources. In the event of grid failures or power outages, hydrogen batteries can supply clean energy to maintain critical operations, eliminating the need for diesel generators.

The scalability of hydrogen storage systems also allows data centers to adapt to growing energy demands and varying renewable energy production levels. When these facilities expand or face fluctuating workloads, the hydrogen battery system can be scaled to meet changing energy requirements while focusing on low-emission operations.

AI City As A Model for Future Data Centers

When the AI City method for data center sustainability is implemented, it has the potential to serve as a model for future data centers worldwide.

Visual Link and Teklium’s AI City may influence both the tech and agricultural sectors in areas where these data centers are located. This could potentially lead to an increase in local food production, improved food security, and a reduction in the carbon footprint associated with long-distance food transport.

Adopting sustainable technologies in data center operations has the potential to create opportunities in both the tech and agricultural fields, contributing to economic development and diversification in the surrounding regions.

It remains to be seen whether data centers are heading toward a more sustainable future, but initiatives like AI City are exploring the possibilities for environmentally-friendly advancements in the digital space.

Published by: Annie P.