# Data Center-Enabled High Altitude Platforms: A Green Computing Alternative

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09241 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.09241/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 17 Sep 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Federated Learning: A Cutting-Edge Survey of the Latest Advancements and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.05269/) (2023)
- [Bridging Earth and Space: A Survey on HAPS for Non-Terrestrial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.19731/) (2025)
- [Joint AoI and Handover Optimization in Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.12716/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Information technology organizations and companies are seeking greener alternatives to traditional terrestrial data centers to mitigate global warming and reduce carbon emissions. Currently, terrestrial data centers consume a significant amount of energy, estimated at about 1.5% of worldwide electricity use. Furthermore, the increasing demand for data-intensive applications is expected to raise energy consumption, making it crucial to consider sustainable computing paradigms. In this study, we propose a data center-enabled High Altitude Platform (HAP) system, where a flying data center supports the operation of terrestrial data centers. We conduct a detailed analytical study to assess the energy benefits and communication requirements of this approach. Our findings demonstrate that a data center-enabled HAP is more energy-efficient than a traditional terrestrial data center, owing to the naturally low temperature in the stratosphere and the ability to harvest solar energy. Adopting a data center-HAP can save up to 14% of energy requirements while overcoming the offloading outage problem and the associated delay resulting from server distribution. Our study highlights the potential of a data center-enabled HAP system as a sustainable computing solution to meet the growing energy demands and reduce carbon footprint.