(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Data center operator 1102 GRAND (www.1102grand.com) issued a press release last week announcing its intention to review its building for green hosting opportunities, as it deals with the specific environmental challenges presented by a historic landmark building.
The colocation facility and Internet hub to the Midwest is located in Kansas City, Missouri, in a 26-story building considered an architectural and historical landmark.
1102 GRAND’s co-owner Darren Bonawitz says the biggest challenge at the facility is owning a building on the historic registry, an unusual case for a data center operator. He acknowledges that the company is unlikely to be considered truly “green” without LEED certification, which is unlikely for a historic building.
“We are working to lower energy usage knowing that this building will never be LEED certified,” he says, quoted in the press release, “and there are not a lot of case studies of companies that have done this before; we are entering uncharted or undocumented territories for a building of our age with the needs and power usage of our tenants. Even with the unusual challenges, the key is that we are making calculated strides when and where we can.”
Among the environmentally conscious steps the company has taken recently is a shift to new, more energy efficient computer room air conditioners, clearing out areas under raised floors, monitoring air flow in colocation rooms, watching for hot zones in the data center and raising the entire facility’s temperature by three degrees.
“Unlike a private data center, we do not have a lot of input into the networking equipment in our facility,” Bonawitz says. “So, in order to be more energy efficient, we have to focus carefully on the infrastructure pieces and work to educate our customers about the steps available for their part of the energy efficiency equation.”
According to the announcement, 1102 GRAND has been publishing a series of white papers and blogs on its website, covering topics related to the company’s efforts at creating a more green IT environment.
