November 1, 2007 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Data center operator Digital Realty Trust (digitalrealtytrust.com) announced on Thursday that it has earned the data center industry's first LEED Gold certification.
The project is a build-to-suit data center for a Fortune Global 500 company located in Digital Realty Trust's 350 East Cermak Road facility in Chicago, Illinois and features 20,000 square feet of raised-floor space with 4,000 kW of available IT load.
"This is an important milestone for Digital Realty Trust and for the entire data center industry," says Michael F. Foust, CEO of Digital Realty Trust. "This facility establishes a new benchmark for energy efficient data centers and it reflects Digital Realty Trust's continued leadership in implementing green data center initiatives that make sense for our corporate customers' bottom line and for their commitment to the environment."
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Other Digital Realty Trust data center facilities are also currently undergoing LEED certification and are projected to receive Gold or Silver certifications, including facilities in Northern Virginia and Santa Clara, California.
