Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid

A man stands looking out over his front porch where a sign reads, "No data centers." (Credit: Heather Ainsworth for The Washington Post—Getty Images)

Amidst the anxiety and disdain for data center growth, startups see an opportunity by designing mini data centers to install in homes that have less of a financial burden on residents, as well as a potentially lower ecological footprint than warehouse data centers.

California-based Span, in partnership with Nvidia, has deployed prototype data center “nodes” in Northern California. The cabinet-sized units, dubbed XFRA, are installed on the sides of homes and small businesses. Requiring no fans, the technology is quiet, mitigating the problem of noise pollution that has drawn the ire of residents of areas with nearby warehouse data centers.