Start-up Greensparc Brings Renewable Energy to Rural Areas
Connectivity is something that those in the cities take for granted, but remote and rural communities often experience disruptions due to infrastructure hundreds of miles away. Data centres are crucial in bringing service to areas falling to the other side of a rapidly accelerating digital divide.
Enter Greensparc, a computing start-up, which is delivering ESG-optimised edge infrastructure and powerful computing capacity to underserved and unserved markets. The company’s modular, scalable edge data centre and cloud solutions are optimised for sustainability, rapid deployment, and resilience in the toughest conditions whilst providing the necessary infrastructure for utility companies, government entities and cloud service providers.
Alaska’s new data centre – powered by renewable energy
Greensparc has teamed up with technology specialist Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to provide the rural community in Cordova, Alaska, with a data centre powered by 100% renewable energy from the local hydro plant. Operational within 90 days, the data centre is more sustainable than traditional data centres and delivers an average of 30-40% TCO savings and up to 80% operating expense savings, all while maintaining computing capacity.
“HPE values Greensparc’s commitment to bridging the digital divide for difficult-to-reach communities,” said Ulrich Seibold, WW VP of HPE GreenLake partner and service provider sales, HPE. “HPE GreenLake’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions is perfectly suited for Greensparc’s delivery of computing infrastructure and cloud capabilities to communities in the toughest conditions and in any environment.”
Through partnering with technology companies like HPE, Greensparc enables the delivery of flexible computing solutions suitable for any use case required in the region.
“Greensparc has elevated Cordova, Alaska, from a remote community at risk of being left behind by next-generation technologies to one that is leading at the intersection of sustainable energy, high-speed communications, and transformative cloud computing. Greensparc’s computing infrastructure is not an advancement; it is a transformation,” said Clay Koplin, CEO of Cordova Electric Cooperative.
In addition to the economic, healthcare and educational benefits that the local communities can expect to see from the new data centre, Greensparc has committed to creating new employment opportunities through training and hiring local workforce.
“By working closely within local municipalities, Tribal organisations, minority-serving institutions, and with other underserved groups, our mission is to make equitable computing power at scale a reality regardless of geography,” said Sam Enoka, CEO and co-founder at Greensparc, who was born and raised in North Pole, Alaska. “By providing Cordova Electric with the building blocks for a more sustainable, secure and connected future, Greensparc is opening access to new economic opportunities and technology services, an important step in helping local communities exercise greater agency over their own destinies.”
"Edge communities such as Cordova are on the forefront of unprecedented ecological transitions, with far-reaching social and economic impacts for their residents,” said Tommy Sheridan, Associate Director of Alaska Blue Economy Center at The University of Alaska Fairbanks. “Greensparc's innovative technology unlocks much potential for the development and diversification of Cordova's blue economy in ways that can be learned from and duplicated elsewhere in coastal Alaska and beyond."
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