Computers and Cacti: Saving Energy Together

"Computer servers create a lot of waste heat -- so much so that keeping them cool is a major cost driver and engineering challenge for data centers. Particularly in coal-fired Indiana, air conditioning for data centers equates to a lot of carbon emissions.

Cacti, on the other hand, need a lot of heat, particularly in the winter, when South Bend is blanketed in snow.

You can see where this is going. Housing servers in the desert dome, where air currents can carry away their waste heat, is expected to save the university about $100,000 in cooling costs. Meanwhile, the city will save some of the $70,000 it spends each year to keep the conservatory warm. Given that the conservatory was cut out of the city's 2010 budget altogether, such steps toward self-sufficiency are necessary to ensure its continued existence."