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another link: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/data-center-noi...

This particular datacenter was retrofitted into an existing industrial building, there was some sort of industrial metalworking factory there previously. Structure dates to 1972.

The houses are basically right across the street from it. The noise does sound annoying as hell. This seems like a basic failure in local permitting/zoning to allow something this noisy without a significant empty buffer zone to any residences.

edit: it's here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dowagiac,+MI+49047,+USA/@4...

2 comments

If you watch the video, there used to be a line of trees that helped block the sound. Then those trees were ripped out to build a loading dock, and the building was converted to crypto miners.

I don't even know what to say to this because they never decided to replant the tress or create some other kind of buffer in its place. Just yanked the trees out and moved on. I'm not even an environmentalist, but this sort of nonsense really pisses me off.

wait, what was the sound from the industrial metalworking factory like?

It was likely quieter on average and likely not working during the night.

BTW, I grew up a few blocks away from a steel foundry, and it typically was emitting a low humming noise. It faded into the background and was not a problem. We could hear loud clangs from time to time, but not at night.

Presumably much less- the datacenter was apparently not that disruptive until they tore down the trees between it and the homes. The manufacturing facility may not have been 24/7 either

It likely didn't have the power requirements either. I'm just guessing here, but that sounds a lot like turbine whine. (I've heard them elsewhere, not to mention been around plenty of aircraft) My guess is that they brought one on site like they've done to other facilities to provide on-site power where the local grid isn't sufficient.

The pledge by their CEO to shut down crypto-mining equiptment feels like a deflection to me, because I don't think that's the source of the noise. It's the turbine generator, and switching to AI I don't think will change the power requirements any. We'll see I suppose.