Data centers are one of the fastest growing areas of America's technology sector. These massive warehouses of servers make some of today's most important technical achievements possible, such as the expanding use of artificial intelligence applications and cryptocurrency mining. Because they use a great deal of energy, they emit a substantial amount of waste heat. But rather than let the heat – well, go to waste – what if we could use it to create new revenue streams for businesses?
That's the idea behind GeoBitmine, an eastern Idaho startup dedicated to harnessing this valuable but often overlooked resource. Founded by Jay Jorgensen, the company aims to integrate small server farms with hydroponic greenhouse farming, using heat from the servers to maintain optimal growing conditions year-round. Combining these operations helps GeoBitmine optimize land use to meet multiple needs.
As a start-up refining its business processes, the company reached out to the Idaho National Laboratory's Technology Deployment group. GeoBitmine requested technical feedback on the balance of water and energy use to maximize the company's positive impact on the regional energy landscape.
INL's Technical Assistance Program (TAP) makes such assistance possible. This initiative connects the lab with small businesses facing technical questions beyond their ability to solve. With expertise in every aspect of energy production, market conditions and engineering, INL is well suited to offer qualifying organizations up to 40 hours of technical assistance at no cost.
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