Startup Feasts on Data Center Garbage

"Energy-from-waste" technology, which turns garbage into power, has been around for decades, but typically the equipment needed to take advantage of it is so massive that it's only useful to municipalities and other huge organizations.

Not anymore. A startup called Data Centigrade Inc. has come up with a small-scale version of the same idea -- a waste recycler that can be installed directly inside office environments to help companies do their bit for the environment and cut their data center heating bills.

Figure 1: The Gigapit

Called simply "The Gigapit," the product is installed in any open plan office environment (typically next to the kitchen) to burn solid fuel made from office rubbish in order to create power for nearby data center operations, Data Centigrade says.

The unit, about the size of a small trash bin, typifies a trend toward waste-to-energy technology, which is catching on worldwide. One source notes that the U.S. presently burns 14 percent of its solid waste, while Denmark burns more than 50 percent."This is an ideal example of the 'greening' of IT," states Scott Clavenna, president of Greentech Media Inc. "At this scale, it really makes it personal -- you see your own trash converted to useful business-class energy. This could end up replacing the water cooler as the de facto gathering place in offices around the nation."

The secret to the Gigapit is a patent-pending technique that reduces waste emissions (smoke, in layman's terms) produced during the burn cycle by up to 96 percent.

The excess emissions are so low that they can be eliminated simply by plugging the device's exhaust housing directly into the air plenum that runs above the drop ceiling in most offices, or by just installing it next to a nearby window, the company claims.

"Depending on the type of waste being burned, a typical company can reduce its data center power bill by 20 to 40 percent in the first year," says Guy Montag, CEO of Data Centigrade. Montag says exact savings depend on the fuel efficiency of the refuse being burned. "Paper isn't great. Food works a lot better. Pizza, burritos, pies -- any of your pastry- or dough-based comestibles. Basically you just throw it all in there and 'flame on!'"

The Gigapit is presently shipping for a list price of $4,995. Centigrade, based in Flint, Mich., claims over 200 customers. Present sales are direct.The company has 20 employees. Initial funding of $5 million came from Tendu Partners and private investor Morton Fleiz.

Have a comment on this story? Please click "Discuss" below. If you'd like to contact Byte and Switch's editors directly, send us a message.