Time-shifted computing could slash data center energy costs by up to 30%

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Recently, two computer scientists had an idea: if computers use energy to perform calculations, could stored data be a form of saved energy? Why not use computing as a way to store energy?

What if information could be a battery, man?

As it turns out, the idea isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound. The “information battery” concept, fleshed out in a recent paper , would perform certain computations in advance when power is cheap—like when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing—and cache the results for later. The process could help data centers replace up in order to 30 percent of their power use with surplus renewable power.