Solar-Powered Datacenter Launches in Green Internet Network 

A rooftop solar-powered datacenter has been connected to Canada’s first “green” powered internet network. On June 29, 2010, Cybera, with national partners CANARIE and the GreenStar Network (GSN) Project, connected the Calgary node, which is managed by Cybera, will draw more than 1,840 watts of power from eight solar panels (230 watts each) installed on roof space donated by Calgary Technologies in the Alastair Ross Technology Centre. Over the next few months, the GSN Project will connect five different nodes across Canada, each powered by renewable energy sources as they store and transfer research data for pilot user groups.

The GreenStar nodes will act as small datacenters — facilities designed to hold computer servers — and will draw power from renewable energy sources such as wind, water and the sun. If the node uses up its power supply before it is able to recharge, the data will be seamlessly transferred along the network to another operational node.

 

“The GreenStar Network aims to ensure that our carbon footprint doesn’t increase as the world becomes more reliant on information and communications technologies,” said Mohamed Cheriet, Director of Synchromedia at ÉTS and spokesperson for the GreenStar Network.

 

Earlier this year, the GSN project received $2 million in funding from CANARIE, Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, through CANARIE’s Green IT Program. The GSN network is expected to eventually extend into the United States and overseas to Spain, Belgium and Ireland.