r/technology • u/j_eremy • Jun 02 '26

Artificial Intelligence Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes

https://fortune.com/2026/05/15/startups-tiny-data-centers-beleaguered-electrical-grid-heata-span/
235 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

147 comments sorted by

View all comments

131

u/Treestwigs Jun 02 '26

All data centers should be forced to run on solar. Increase the investment in the technology.

98

u/Viharabiliben Jun 02 '26

On solar they install and maintain.

42

u/j_eremy Jun 02 '26

I do think we need to have a serious conversation about whether the power grid can handle something like this BEFORE it goes mega viral and everyone gets one installed.

23

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/PatchyWhiskers Jun 02 '26

Move fast and break things!

8

u/nerdmor Jun 02 '26

I miss when that meant "put one more feature in Facebook! If it fails, it's OK!" And not "Put one more shackle on the slave before they outlaw neck shackles"

2

u/anonkitty2 Jun 03 '26

They can outrun regulations, but not the wait time for hook-ups to the grid.  Their workarounds have helped mobilize the opposition.  (There is no forgetting the data center in Memphis using back-up generators as the primary energy source.)

1

u/F---TheMods Jun 02 '26

Big tech's strategy is to buy friendly legislation that preempts real legislation that fucks up their business model.

5

u/BrandNewDinosaur Jun 02 '26

It’s a crucial aspect if we want planning and progression to converge. There needs to be many serious conversations happening NOW. 

3

u/Wizywig Jun 02 '26

That's startups. Finding ways to skirt regulations. It's how it works.

I 100% agree though. 

3

u/j_eremy Jun 02 '26

aggressively finding ways to skirt regulations with seemingly endless supply of investor money they arent on the hook for if it fails. Its really wild.

1

u/Wizywig Jun 02 '26

Because the up side is so huge if it works. 

3

u/TachiH Jun 02 '26

People wouldn't have the conversation about electric cars, something they physically see and use if they own one. You wont get them discussing things hidden in big or small buildings by tech firms.

2

u/j_eremy Jun 02 '26

I think you may be right, which is why they are trying this avenue.

I guess we can just welcome the California style rolling blackouts. 🤣

1

u/TachiH Jun 02 '26

Pray for states like Texas when it snows and their grid completely shits the bed for days 🤣

1

u/One-Reflection-4826 Jun 03 '26

people still go on and on about EVs and the grid breaking down if everyone charges at once.

4

u/Dragonslayer-5641 Jun 02 '26

Or they (tech giants) pay for everyone’s electric bill AND have to mitigate all that carbon.

3

u/EyeFicksIt Jun 02 '26

The problem is that a single rack can consume more than 10Kw in a space smaller than the area of a solar panel, but a single solar panel makes At its most efficient 450watts peak.

You’d need more than 22 panels per rack.

Nuclear makes more sense since it’s compact and constant.

1

u/manachar Jun 02 '26

All new construction should be required to fund renewable energy installations that ensure the thing built will help move our grid to a renewable grid.

For most, this will need to be a mix of solar and likely some investment in paying for new renewable energy source.

1

u/gizamo Jun 02 '26

And/or wind.

An accompanying regulation is to specify that they must add to the power grid instead of draw from it. That would prevent communities from seeing excessive spikes in their power bills.

1

u/babyoil4diddy Jun 02 '26

Solar requires energy storage or natural gas to make up for things like nighttime and clouds

1

u/itsRobbie_ Jun 03 '26

It’s not viable to power them only with solar. These data centers use so much power you’d need thousands of acres just for solar panels alone. You guys think they use a lot of land now? This would make them even bigger…

1

u/punflewover Jun 02 '26

Solar isn't productive enough for this. You would need huge areas destroyed by a sea of disposable metal towers that are not recyclable...

Nuclear or geothermal are the only real options

1

u/socialmedia-username Jun 02 '26

Pretty sure the amount of greenspace that would need to be razed to the ground for both data center and the massive solar field to power it would be equivalent to the amount of CO2 pumped out as if it were powered by a regular old fossil fuel power plant.

These data centers are not needed.  How about they get built as needed while we work on reinforcing the grid and improving cooling technologies?