Microsoft is among the companies that want to reduce their carbon footprint to zero by 2030. Interestingly, the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology that requires higher electricity and water consumption as cooling seems to make things difficult not only for them, but for many other company technologies.
For this, Microsoft seems to be trying something new, where they have started developing a new data center whose external frame is built using cross-laminated timber (CLT) to reduce the carbon footprint.
In a video released by Intel recently, they are developing a new data center in North Virginia, where Microsoft will replace the steel and concrete used for floors and walls with CLT wood. A thin layer of concrete will be used to ensure that this CLT wood lasts longer.
Microsoft says that although this CLT wood is technically more expensive than concrete and steel, it is also much lighter and easier to develop building structures with, and this will reduce development costs in terms of the use of labor and also non-renewable raw materials.
Not only that, Microsoft also expects that they can reduce the carbon footprint of data center construction by 35 percent when building using CLT wood, and reduce reliance on concrete and even metal. Greenhouse gases can also be reduced by 65 percent when developing these data centers, and start using them.