🌟 Inspiration
We were inspired by a friend's story about his family’s energy company in France, where they sometimes faced negative pricing—meaning they had to pay to offload surplus electricity during periods of low demand. It seemed unfair that people generating clean energy could be penalized for overproduction.
As of 2023, over 60 countries generate more than 10% of their electricity from wind energy. However, when supply exceeds demand, prices can drop below zero, forcing providers to pay others to take excess electricity. A striking example occurred in Germany in 2016, where prices fell to -130 euros per megawatt-hour.
Meanwhile, data centers consumed 416 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023, about 3% of global power. This figure is rising, especially with the growing AI sector. We thought—why not harness that excess renewable energy for cloud computing? This idea became EcoCompute.
☁️ What it does
EcoCompute is a cloud computing platform that allows energy providers to monetize surplus renewable energy during periods of negative pricing. By offering affordable compute resources, it converts wasted energy into valuable computing power. Providers can deploy nodes, which dynamically allocate workloads based on real-time energy production. This gives users access to low-cost computing while helping providers avoid paying to offload excess energy.
🛠️ How we built it
We developed a React-based front end that operates like a cloud notebook, providing an interactive experience for users. This front end connects via WebSockets to a FastAPI server, which serves as the backbone of our application.
The server manages connections to energy provider nodes, which are orchestrated using Docker. These nodes not only handle compute tasks but also utilize real-time data to adjust workloads according to energy availability. We focused primarily on German data for wind power, which made it easier to access open-source information. This decision allowed us to build a more robust and reliable platform since Germany has a wealth of data available and is a leader in renewable energy production.
Additionally, we incorporated statistical models that predict energy production and pricing trends, allowing us to optimize the allocation of compute tasks during surplus periods. This proactive approach ensures that we maximize the use of renewable energy while providing users with efficient computing resources.
🚧 Challenges we ran into
Finding open-source data on renewable energy and managing WebSockets effectively were significant challenges. However, by focusing on German data, we found it easier to obtain relevant statistics and trends. We also learned that Europe, being a leader in wind energy, experiences the most negative pricing situations.
🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re proud to have created a platform that turns wasted energy into useful compute power. Not only does this reduce energy waste, but it also provides an eco-friendly, cost-effective solution for compute tasks, benefiting both energy providers and users.
📚 What we learned
Through this project, we gained a deeper understanding of renewable energy markets, particularly the complexities of balancing energy production with computing needs. We learned that while battery storage is crucial for managing surplus energy, it can be prohibitively expensive. By focusing on regions with existing infrastructure for energy storage, such as dams in Québec, we can better manage excess energy.
🚀 What's next for EcoCompute
Our next step is to enhance the computing experience by allowing users to upload their own containers for execution on the platform. We plan to expand EcoCompute by partnering with more energy providers worldwide and integrating additional renewable sources like solar and hydroelectric power. Our goal is to make EcoCompute the go-to platform for turning surplus energy into sustainable cloud computing.
Built With
- colab
- docker
- fastapi
- ngrok
- python
- react
- statistics
- weather
- websockets
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