Goldman Sachs Looking to Follow Google, Facebook with Battery-Powered Servers

Following the lead of companies such as Google and Facebook is never a bad idea. No slouch in its own right, the global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs is looking to do just that as it seriously contemplates moving to custom web servers outfitted with on-board batteries.

“I think the trend you’re going to see is servers with batteries,” said Goldman Sachs vice president David Schirmacher. “That’s one of the areas we’ve been focusing on. Everyone knows what Google has done with their custom servers. That’s not pushing into the mainstream manufacturing market. We have some teams working on this.”

In a recent post by Data Center Knowledge, the brief history custom-fitting servers with batteries shows why this system is so beneficial for corporations that feature and rely on large data center operations. Facebook, for instance, says it expects using on-board batteries with its servers to reduce the energy loss during power distribution from the current 35 percent to about 15 percent, while Google, which uses a 12 volt battery in its design, reports exceptional energy efficiency data for their data centers.

“The use of an on-board battery on web servers allows data center operators to create a more efficient power path through the facility. In most data centers, a large centralized UPS system stands between the utility power grid and the servers. When there is a grid outage, the UPS taps a large bank of batteries (or in some cases, a flywheel) for “ride-through” power until the generator can be started. The AC power from the grid is converted into DC power to charge the batteries, and then converted back to AC for the equipment, with each conversion resulting in small power losses.” -Data Center Knowledge-

While it remains to be seen if this is a trend that others will follow, this type of server/battery combination has already seen results so significant that others who rely on large data centers will eventually need to consider this type of set-up. If it’s good enough for Google, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs….