(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Data center in Rochelle, Illinois, run by Allstate Insurance Company (www.allstate.com), the largest publicly held personal lines insurer in the US, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification, one of the highest achievements for a green building.
Established by the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute, LEED is one of the top benchmarks for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
When the Allstate facility opened last year, it was the first data center in Rochelle’s new business and technology park, and was notably designed with the environment in mind. Now, by using less energy and water, the Allstate, like all LEED-certified buildings, saves money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the community at large.
“As part of Allstate’s promise to be there for our customers in their time of need, we’re dedicated to ensuring high availability of critical technology systems,” Allstate senior vice president and chief information officer Catherine Brune said in a statement. “It’s designed from the ground up to maximize computing capacity and minimize environmental impact.”
The Rochelle data center also plays a key role in Allstate’s larger consolidation strategy, in which it will reduce its number of data centers to two by the end of 2010, and at the same time increase power efficiency and capacity.
Allstate’s data center achieved LEED Gold certification by incorporating a variety of sustainable technology, design and construction strategies with a positive impact on not only the project itself, but also the broader community.
The facility incorporates energy efficient hardware and virtualization technologies that allocate resources efficiency. The environmental system channels heat from computers, outside air and mechanical equipment to keep office areas comfortable and equipment rooms cool. A white roof reflects light rather than absorbing heat. Glass outside of office walls takes advantage of natural light. The concrete building material is made from recycled materials, and landscaping using native native species of plants requires no irrigation and minimal maintenance.
Allstate is not alone in the cause. In April 2009, financial services company financial services company Citi Group (www.citigroup.com) opened a 230,000-square-foot Frankfurt data center, which earned the LEED rating. Allstate, however, remains one of the few mission-critical data centers in America to receive the LEED Gold designation.
