AI 연산도 급한 것부터 먼저

The global technology magazine MIT Technology Review highlighted in their August special report how AI data centers are seeking technical solutions to address the strain on power grids. The core of these technologies lies not so much in reducing overall power consumption, but in the flexibility of electricity usage and location.

One of Google's chosen methods was Virtual Power Plant (VPP), which it recently agreed to support with the distributed energy company Volters for the next three years. The virtual power plant connects solar power, batteries, electric vehicles chargers, air conditioners, and industrial facilities into a single power plant through software.

When power demand spikes, participants reduce electricity usage or supply stored electricity and receive compensation. Start-up energy company Emerald AI plans to deploy software called "Conductor" to automatically adjust power loads in data centers in Virginia. Conductor analyzes the urgency and importance of tasks to regulate data center power usage.

Time-sensitive tasks are maintained in real-time processing while less urgent tasks can be delayed or moved to other data centers. Battery recycling company Redwood entered the AI data center power market by building a small power grid (microgrid) in a desert in Nevada that connects solar power, used electric car batteries, and the AI data center.

It stores solar-generated electricity in batteries for use at night or when production is insufficient. The company repurposes batteries with remaining capacity for storing and supplying electricity, giving a new lease on life to used batteries. Journalist Eun-hyun Han of the Hankyoreh Digital Research Institute ([email protected]) reported on these developments.