Subj : Re: Forget a hosepipe ban
To   : RUG RAT
From : Rob Mccart
Date : Thu Aug 21 2025 08:08:28

  RM> If I recall this was more about water usage than electricity use but
  RM> suggestied that less data stored on servers would reduce the amount
  RM> of water needed to cool them. I'd think a big part of the water part
  RM> of it would depend on if coolant is recycled or just dumped with new
  RM> water coming in to replace it, and where that water is coming from.
  RM> Pretty much anything could be used but I suppose if the servers are
  RM> in a city then it's a huge waste of clean, processed, drinking water.

RR>In the case of water usage, electricity generation and water go hand in hand.
  >s water is used for either steam for the turbines, or for cooling.  Leaking p
  >s or evaperation in the cooling ponds will result in a net loss.  So more pow
  >= more heat = more water used.

Yes, I was going to mention the other day that a system creating so
much heat it needs to be water cooled also likely makes so much heat
that it couldn't be easily recycled unless there were vast reserves
of it. Much simpler to just dump the hot water and bring in fresh
cooler water.

Also, there are lots of power plants that use water driven turbines
without heat, so much of that here that our power company is called
Ontario Hydro (or Hydro One).

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 * SLMR Rob  * I don't work here... I'm a consultant
 * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

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