Nature + Efficiency = The Greenest Data Centers in the World!
Data centers consume approximately 4% of the world's power, a number that, despite being enormous, is believed by some to be too conservative. That consumption has been growing. In the United States, 1.5% of all energy went to data centers in 2007, up from .6% in 2000.* The consumption curve is steepening as we generate more applications, internet transactions, storage needs and other computing requirements.
Growing right along with it is our awareness of green house gas emissions and their effect on the planet. Advances on several fronts – software, hardware, infrastructure, facility management protocols, and building and mechanical design are converging on the problem of data center energy consumption. Combining these factors with the substitution of renewable, carbon-free hydropower generation for coal-fired results in dramatic environmental benefits as well as lower operating expense. Sabey's Data Centers are at the confluence of these two trends.
Concerns over the failure of a mission-critical environment often prevent designers and operators from choosing more efficient design alternatives. However, industry is not waiting for the regulations to flow.
The Green Grid, a consortium of information technology companies, along with many others are working to develop meaningful, platform-neutral standards, measurement methods, processes and new technologies to reduce consumption.
Sabey is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Association.
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*The EPA commissioned a study in 2006 to examine server and data center energy consumption.
Sabey is using our mild Pacific Northwest climate to tame the energy appetite of our data centers. Our facilities in Seattle and in Intergate.Columbia use mild ambient air and the use of air-side economizers to deliver cooling for the majority of the year - our goal is to use this green cooling for 95% of the time, saving both energy and money. Intergate.Columbia received a Gold LEED certification for its energy efficiency. Our abundant hydropower also delivers some of the lowest power rates in the country. Cleanly. Renewably. Carbon-free.
We believe that good stewardship of our environment is essential. Electricity in Sabey Data Centers is not only used efficiently, it is generated with the Pacific Northwest’s water sources, sustainable and producing virtually no carbon footprint. Taking care of our region’s wildlife is part of good stewardship. View additional information about how the utilities serving our campuses serve both the environment and our fish.
http://www.gcpud.org/resources/resFish/fishpassage.htm
http://www.douglaspud.org/Environment/WellsDam.aspx
http://www.seattle.gov/light/environment/fish/
Sabey Data Centers - High Efficiency, Low Cost
Sabey Data Centers - Advantage Green
Intelligent design is part of the equation, too. The newest data centers incorporate energy-saving design solutions including:
- A managed airflow system eliminates hot spots and ensures the amount of cooling capacity required for IT equipment. This cooling capacity is provided efficiently - primarily through airside economizers, augmented by direct evaporative cooling, while still allowing flexible layout and elimination of hot spots.
- Larger but fewer variable speed motors power the air handlers, resulting in significant energy saving.
- Airflow is managed to separate cool intake air from warm server exhaust air.
- Raised floor creates additional losses and leakages in the air handling system, thereby reducing the efficiency of cooling systems, whether natural or mechanical. New data center design, such as that of SDC52 at Sabey's Intergate.East, eliminates the requirement for a raised floor entirely. With the managed airflow system in SDC52, these potential losses are precluded.
- Eliminating raised floors also eliminates masses of cable bundles which reduce the capacity and efficiency of air cooling.
- New servers have heavy power requirements. At SDC52, the power distribution systems are managed with plans in place to grow to a total UPS capacity of 4,500 kW. SDC52 also reports and trends power utilization, assisting customers in their planning efforts.