微软圣何塞数据中心的净零排放之路
微软圣何塞数据中心：通往净零排放之路的重要里程碑
MICROSOFT’S SAN JOSE DATA CENTER:An Important Step on the Road to Net-Zero
译 者 说
长期以来，“绿色节能”是数据中心建设的重要一环，特别是近年来，“绿色节能”已经成为国家和各地方政府对数据中心建设的基本要求，但是长期以来的普遍做法仍集中在数据中心建设内部，没有从外部以及源头上思考新的方法，近些年来的数据中心储能等建设思路的提出正是数据中心行业的创新，但是与外部供电企业的联动，特别是电网的联动还是缺乏亮点案例。微软的案例是一种很好的借鉴，不光是技术层面借鉴，更是行业联动、专业协同规划的突破。
世界各国和企业正在加快“脱碳”进程，科技公司在保证提供具有相同性能、可靠性服务的前提下尝试摆脱对传统燃料能源的依赖。
The drive to decarbonize is accelerating across industries worldwide. Technology companies have taken a leadership position in a variety of ways to move away from fossil fuel sources while providing the same reliability and performance. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a source that serves as either primary or backup power to electricity-intensive data centers.
根据联合国气候行动计划，在全球范围内已经有超过3500家公司、城市和教育机构提出“零碳”承诺以应对气候变化，但是许多承诺的实现遥遥无期，比如有的承诺是到2050年实现“零碳”。
Around the world, over 3,500 companies, cities and educational institutions have adopted net- zero pledges as part of the fight against climate change, according to the United Nations Climate Action program.i But many of those pledges have far-off deadlines, such as 2050.
最近的极端天气，例如2021年北美的冬季风暴URI、2022年的飓风LAN、北美西部的森林大火，都因为全球变暖而加剧，这些事情表明我们不能再等待下去，需要有所行动。
Recent extreme weather such as Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Hurricane Ian in 2022 — as well as wildfires across western North America, worsened by a warming planet — are signals that our planet can’t wait.
长期以来，微软（Microsoft）一直认为需要以更积极的行动来应对全球气候变化。2012年，微软制定了到2030年实现“负排放”的目标。微软正在加州圣何塞（San Jose）建设一个数据中心，该数据中心利用可再生天然气（RNG）作为备用发电供电方式，这个数据中心的微电网是北美最大的一个微电网。
Microsoft has long believed more aggressive action is needed to combat global climate change. In 2012, the company adopted a goal of being carbon-negative by 2030. Microsoft is building a data center in San Jose, California, that will support that goal by using RNG to power a 60-megawatt backup generator hooked to a microgrid — the state’s largest.
这个举动在两个层面上都是可持续的。第一，当数据中心需要使用其应急备用发电机时，可再生天然气（RNG）将抵消传统天然气燃烧产生的二氧化碳（C02）排放。第二，可再生天然气（RNG）是将动物粪便转化成对环境有益的燃料，所以它的使用会让甲烷远离大气层。
The move is sustainable on two levels. First, the RNG will offset carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas when the data center needs to use its emergency backup generators. Second, by transforming animal waste into environmentally beneficial fuel, the use of RNG keeps methane out of the atmosphere.
美国环境保护署的研究显示，甲烷的寿命比二氧化碳（C02）等其他温室气体的寿命短，但它在大气层中吸收热量的能力却是二氧化碳(CO2)的25倍左右。
Methane has a shorter lifespan than other greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, but it is about 25 times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
电力密集型行业的惊人增长
THE DRAMATIC GROWTH OF AN ELECTRIC- INTENSIVE INDUSTRY
数据中心又可以被称作服务器农场，一直是耗电大户，根据美国能源部（DOE）的数据显示，数据中心每层楼消耗的能源是普通商业办公楼的10~50倍。总体上，数据中心用电量约占美国总用电量的2%。
Data centers, also called server farms, are voracious users of electricity, consuming between 10 to 50 times the energy per floor compared to a typical commercial office building, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).Collectively, data centers account for approximately 2% of total U.S. electricity use.
全美目前至少有2700个数据中心在运行，许多研究预计这一数字在未来五年内还将大幅增长，甚至可能翻一番。
At least 2,700 data centers are operating now in the U.S. and many observers expect that number to grow sharply, perhaps even double, over the next five years.
即使采用了最节能的技术，但是新增这么多的数据中心还是会导致美国电力需求激增。美国电力行业正在努力推进碳排放地减少，并且所有部门都需要参与脱碳，以避免气候变化带来的最灾难性影响。
The addition of so many new data centers could lead to a surge in U.S. electric demand growth, even if the new facilities are outfitted with the most energy-efficient technology. Although the U.S. electricity industry is reducing its carbon emissions, all sectors need to participate in decarbonization to avert the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
微软是众多建设数据中心的科技企业之一。
Microsoft is one of many technology companies building data centers.
“随着我们的数据中心不断发展，以支持微软公有云和私有云服务日益增长的需求。我们将继续投入资源，寻找创造性的解决方案，来应对当今数据中心的运营和工程挑战，帮助我们实现伟大的可持续发展目标。”微软发言人认为：“我们的使命不仅是找到改善我们数据中心运营的方法，并且还要与更广泛的云计算和建筑行业人分享这些经验。”
“As our data centers grow to support the increased demand for cloud services across public and private sectors, we will continue to devote resources to finding creative, innovative solutions to today’s data center operational and engineering challenges to help us meet our ambitious sustainability targets,” a Microsoft spokesperson commented. “Our mission is to not only find ways to improve our data center operations but also share these learnings with the broader cloud and built environment industry.”
Enchanted Rock是一家提供电气弹性及服务（Electrical Resiliency-as-a-Service）的领先供应商。公司CEO Thomas McAndrew表示：“我们正在和微软等数据中心所有者合作，因为数据中心有巨大的电力需求和特殊的电力可靠性要求。五个九（99.999%）的可靠性是基本要求。数据中心在我国数字生活中越来越扮演中着至关重要的角色。而且，与许多细分市场一样，数据中心的运营商越来越注重减少对环境的影响。”
Enchanted Rock, a leading provider of Electrical Resiliency-as-a-Service, Chief Executive Officer Thomas McAndrew said, “We are partnering with data center owners like Microsoft because data centers have significant power needs and unique power reliability requirements. Five-nines of reliability is a base expectation. Data centers play a vital role in our country’s increasingly digital life. And, like many segments, data center owners are increasingly focused on operating in ways that minimize their environmental impact.”
他还表示说：“当前的数字世界主要依赖于数据中心的不间断持续运营。这种连续性并不需要以牺牲公司的碳减排目标或当地空气质量为代价。随着企业持续摆脱传统的、不太环保的方法，微软（Microsoft）采用可再生微电网，标志着数据中心碳减排进入一个新的阶段。我们预计该项目将证明大规模、可靠且具有成本效益的方案将可以成为一个新标准。”
He continued: “Today’s digital world relies on the uptime and continuity of data center operations. This continuity does not need to come at the expense of companies’ carbon emission reduction goals or local air quality. Microsoft’s decision to pursue a renewable microgrid marks another milestone in the industry as businesses continue to move away from conventional, less carbon-friendly methods. We expect this project will demonstrate that large-scale, reliable, and cost-effective backup generation with net-zero carbon can become the new standard.”
可再生天然气是循环经济的一部分
RNG PART OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
可持续性的一个方面是减少发电厂和工业的碳排放。但可持续性远不止于此：它考虑尽可能减少各种浪费从而转向循环经济。
Reducing carbon emissions from powerplants and industry is one aspect of sustainability. But sustainability is far larger than that: It contemplates a move to a circular economy, where waste of all kinds is minimized.
可再生天然气（RNG）是循环经济的一个重要方面，因为它是利用腐烂的食物垃圾、农业垃圾和动物垃圾排放的甲烷，并将其转化成有用的燃料，同时还可以防止甲烷进入大气层。
RNG is an important aspect of a circular economy, as it captures methane emitted by decaying food waste, agricultural waste, and animal waste and turns it into a useful fuel while also keeping methane out of the atmosphere.
使用可再生天然气（RNG）为微电网、锅炉、热电厂或其他工业项目供电是能源转型工作的一部分。
Using RNG to power microgrids, boilers, or other industrial processes is one part of the energy transition effort.
如今，可再生天然气（RNG）在工业产业中的天然气总使用量中所占比例不到 1%。但根据可再生天然气联盟的估计，预计到 2050 年可再生天然气（RNG）的使用可能会增长到 8% 以上。主要促进使用的原因是 2021 年基础设施投资、就业法案和 2022 年通货膨胀减少法案中包含的应对气候变化的资金分配。
Today, RNG amounts to less than 1% of overall gas by all customer segments and industrial sectors. But projections are that RNG could grow to over 8% by 2050,according to an estimate from the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. A significant growth accelerant is the distribution of federal funds to fight climate change contained in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
微软与Enchanted Rock的合作关系
MICROSOFT’S PARTNERSHIP WITH ENCHANTED ROCK
微软发言人表示：“微软和Enchanted Rock的合作将使我们能够为加州圣何塞的数据中心提供后备电源，该备用电源是加州即将建成的最大微电网，并得到可再生天然气（RNG）的全面支持。”
“Microsoft’s collaboration with Enchanted Rock will enable us to provide our San Jose, California, data center with backup power sourced from California’s soon-to-be largest microgrid fully supported by RNG,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
除了“零碳”目标外，微软还承诺到 2030 年，其100%的能源，在100%的时间内，使用其运营的零碳电网。“我们称之为 100/100/0 承诺，该承诺提供了一个愿景和路线图，就是将我们的运营目标与我们的研究、技术和投资相结合，以推动全球变革，”微软发言人说。
In addition to its carbon-negative goal, Microsoft also has made a commitment that by 2030, 100% of its energy supply, 100% of the time, will come from zero-carbon resources on grids where it operates. “This commitment, which we refer to as 100/100/0, provides a vision and roadmap to pair our operational goals with our research, technologies, and investments to drive global change,” the Microsoft spokesperson said.
“我们与 Enchanted Rock 的合作是基于这个路线图的合作，”发言人还表示。“Enchanted Rock 开发的、可靠的、净零排放的微电网，其有能力产生比传统柴油发电机运行的数据中心低得多的碳排放和空气污染物。
“Our partnership with Enchanted Rock is a collaboration on this roadmap,” the spokesperson continued. “Enchanted Rock’s ability to develop a reliable microgrid with net- zero emissions will produce significantly lower carbon emissions and air pollutants than a data center run by traditional diesel generators.
我们知道仅靠我们的行动无法使电网脱碳，但我们致力于采取雄心勃勃的行动来推动市场需求信号，这将影响转型发生的速度和规模。”
We know that our actions alone will not decarbonize the grids, but we are committed to taking ambitious action to drive market demand signals that will influence the speed and scale at which the transformation happens.”
清洁空气联盟的政策主管Bill Magavern补充说：“加州需要实用的柴油备用发电替代方案，在保护公众健康的同时应对严峻的气候变化形式。这意味着部署灵活、可调度的解决方案，解决可再生能源的间歇性问题的同时，也可减少柴油发电机对环境和公共健康的影响。”
Added Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air, “California needs practical alternatives to diesel backup generation in order to protect public health and prevent catastrophic climate change. This means deploying flexible, dispatchable solutions that can tackle the intermittent nature of renewables while reducing the environmental and public health impacts of diesel-fueled generators.”
Enchanted Rock 的CEO McAndrew 补充说：“微软表示，圣何塞数据中心是微软未来零碳数据中心微电网项目的样板项目。”
Enchanted Rock CEO McAndrew added, “Microsoft has indicated that the San Jose Data Center is a template for future fully decarbonized data center microgrid projects with our company.”
为何选择天然气呢？又为何是现在呢?
WHY RNG, AND WHY NOW?
微软的圣何塞数据中心最初设计是使用柴油发电机。但这家科技巨头转而使用可再生天然气（RNG）供电的微电网，电网供电将提高电力可靠性的同时，以更低的成本大幅降低碳排放。并且，RNG的碳排放量也明显低于传统天然气。
Microsoft’s San Jose Data Center was originally designed to have backup generators run on diesel fuel. But the tech giant switched to an RNG-powered microgrid because that would increase electric reliability while lowering emissions dramatically at a lower cost. RNG also has a significantly lower carbon intensity than traditional natural gas.
“这个项目以及我们对圣何塞数据中心的后续支持使微软能够进一步实现我们的目标，即消除对石油柴油的依赖，同时提高数据中心的可靠性，并为当地电网提供急需的容量资源，”微软发言人说。“该项目超过了目前加州空气资源委员会对分布式发电的排放标准要求。这个碳排放标准是世界上最严格的：每小时本地排放量比 Tier 4 柴油标准低 80% 至 96%，同时要提供更高的可靠性。”
“This project and subsequent support of our San Jose data center enables Microsoft to further our goal of eliminating dependence on petroleum- based diesel while increasing the resilience of our data center and providing a much-needed capacity resource to the local grid,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “This project will outperform current California Air Resources Board emissions requirements for distributed generation, the most stringent in the world, with hourly local emissions 80% to 96% lower than Tier 4 diesel standards while delivering higher reliability.”
包括微软在内的许多公司已经通过与可再生能源开发商签订太阳能或风能发电合同来应对气候挑战。但太阳不会一直普照大地，即使在加利福尼亚州，风也不会一直吹。加州对可再生能源的大规模开发给电力可靠性带来了一系列新问题：在夏季的午后，当空调负荷增加时，可再生能源设施的发电量却在下降。
Many companies, including Microsoft, have responded to the climate challenge by signing contracts with renewable energy developers for electricity generated by the sun or wind. But the sun doesn’t always shine — even in California — and the wind doesn’t always blow. The state’s dramatic rush to renewables has created a new set of problems for electric reliability: In summer afternoons, when the air conditioning load is rising, generation from renewable energy facilities is falling.
因为离线不是7*24数据中心的一个选项，所以微软需要拥有高度可靠的发电来源，而不是依赖于太阳能或风能等间歇性发电。而且，由于该州近年来一直在努力维持照明，微软需要可再生天然气（RNG）供电的微电网提供额外的电力保证。
Since going offline is not an option for 24/7/365 data centers, Microsoft needed to have a highly reliable source of electric generation that was not dependent on intermittent generation like solar or wind. And, as the state has struggled to keep the lights on in recent years, Microsoft needed the extra assurance that an RNG- powered microgrid provided.
如有必要，在电力干扰期间，数据中心电网可以与公用电网隔离。或者，如果需要，微电网又可以并网为当地公用事业提供电网支持和发电能力。这种模式会带来一定的收入，从而为微软节省成本。在许多情况下，Enchanted Rock 的双用途微电网的成本等于或低于传统柴油备用发电的成本。
The data center can be islanded from the utility grid, if necessary, during electric disturbances. Or, it can operate to provide grid support and generation capacity to its local utility provider if called on to do so. This grid support generates revenue that is passed on in the form of cost savings to Microsoft. In many cases, Enchanted Rock’s dual-purpose microgrids come in at or below the cost of traditional diesel backup generation.
以可再生天然气（RNG）为燃料的备用发电机预计每年运行不超过 100 小时，包括用于电网支持，尽管微电网允许每年运行500 小时。这将为加州的亮灯工程发挥的重要作用，因为该州近年来遭受了森林大火导致的电力紧急的情况。
The RNG-fueled backup generators are expected to run for no more than 100 hours per year, including for grid support, though the microgrid is permitted to run up to 500 hours per year. The data center could play an important role in keeping the lights on in California, which has suffered through wildfires and power emergencies in recent years.
Enchanted Rock的CEO Thomas McAndrew 表示：“这种创新的、行业首创的天然气微电网数据中心弹性解决方案，其成本将等于或低于柴油供电的成本，并为 PG&E 和加州 ISO 提供电网稳定服务。”
“This innovative, first-of-its-kind natural gas microgrid data center resiliency solution will come in at or below the cost of the original diesel and provide grid stability services back to PG&E and the California ISO,” said Thomas McAndrew, Enchanted Rock’s CEO.
微软能源和可持续发展总经理 Brian Janous补充说：“该项目帮助微软朝着消除对石油柴油的依赖的目标前进了一步，同时又提高了微软数据中心的弹性，并为当地电网提供急需的容量资源。”
Brian Janous, Microsoft’s general manager of energy and sustainability, added, “This project helps Microsoft take a step towards our goal of eliminating dependence on petroleum-based diesel while increasing the resilience of our data center and providing a much-needed capacity resource to the local grid.”
微软为圣何塞能源中心选择了 Enchanted Rock 的弹性电力即服务（Electrical Resiliency-as-a-Service）及由 RNG 供电的双用途微电网。因为它比柴油更清洁、更可靠且更实惠。这是能源转型的重要一步。
For its San Jose Energy Center, Microsoft selected Enchanted Rock’s Electrical Resiliency- as-a-Service with its dual-purpose microgrids powered by RNG because it is cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable than diesel alternatives. It is an important step forward in the energy transition.
深 知 社
翻译：
洪亮
华信设计 IDC/ICT 项目经理
DKV（DeepKnowledge Volunteer）计划成员
谢淋妮
华信设计 IDC/ICT 项目工程师
校对：
贾梦檩
阿里云 暖通工程师
DKV（DeepKnowledge Volunteer）计划精英成员
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