In an email Q&A with the WHIR, John Sheputis, founder and CEO of Fortune Data Centers discusses the company’s latest San Jose data center and runs through the process of applying for LEED GOLD certification.
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Last month, data center operator Fortune Data Centers (www.fortunedatacenters.com) opened the doors to its new energy-efficient, “green” data center in San Jose after completing its initial phase.
Built on a 9.26-acre campus, the 78,000 square foot data center has a capacity of 7.86MW of IT critical load over two data rooms consisting of 43,000 fully powered and usable square feet of IT floor space. When fully complete, Fortune San Jose will consist of over 140,000 square feet in three buildings.
The facility boasts a Power Usage Effectiveness of 1.37, which is remarkable considering the industry average data center PUE is 2.0. For this reason, the data center is projected to become the first operational data center in California to achieve the LEED Gold certification.
The data center’s design takes into consideration a range of environmentally-friendly features, including the use of an overhead plenum with insulated ducts to supply cold air, ambient cooling through high efficiency cooling towers, and contained hot and cold aisles in the data rooms.
As a result, the Forest Centre will use 50 percent less energy than the average commercial building.
In an email interview with the WHIR, Fortune Data Centers founder and CEO of John Sheputis highlights the environmental features of its San Jose data center, as well as the process of applying for its LEED GOLD certification.
The WHIR: Can you detail the process of applying for LEED Gold certification, as well as the necessary requirements?
John Sheputis: LEED begins in the project planning phase. The USGBC awards LEED points for design, construction methods and materials, and sustainable operations. LEED can’t simply be added later, it has to be part of the overall plan. LEED does add some cost to the project as Construction techniques, material use, debris disposal, and operational methods have to be thoroughly documented. My personal belief is that LEED adds value to the property well in excess of the costs. The USGB has different achievement levels for LEED, with Gold being the second highest after Platinum.
What kinds of alternatives to traditional data center cooling methods does Fortune deploy?
JS: The EPA report to Congress in 2007 defined “state-of-the-art” as the maximum energy-efficiency savings that could be achieved using available technologies – meaning that a data center would be operated at maximum possible energy efficiency using only the most efficient technologies and best management practices available today. I think that sums up what Fortune intended to do. Inside the data rooms, we’ve eliminate raised floor and Segregate hot and cold air.
We’ve broadened the operating range for temperature and humidity and we use a state of the art BMS to control the environment. External to the data room, we’ve minimized the distance to “push” air. We’re also using chiller based cooling (versus DX systems) and most importantly, we are using ambient cooling to supplement and optimize chilling capacity. Overall, Fortune has attempted to use high efficiency equipment and variable frequency drives in pumps, fans, chillers to balance and optimize energy use.
What key factors contributed to Fortune achieving a low PUE rating?
JS: All of the factors I previously mentioned, as well as high efficiency UPS, transformer, and PDU equipment choices (to minimize electrical system loss).
How does this latest San Jose data center compare to other facilities in the area, in terms of energy efficiency?
JS: To our knowledge, this is the most efficient merchant data center in Silicon Valley, although, we acknowledge there may be more efficient private facilities.
With the ongoing recession and lack of financing available, why did Fortune decide to invest in an energy efficiency data center?
JS: An excellent question. Briefly, we invested in areas that would produce more IT power capacity and improve our ability to attract customers. As in all cases, total utility power to the site is limited. Building a facility with a low PUE meant having more IT critical load capacity to sell. Customers value lower PUEs, both for environmental reasons as well as economic. Lower PUE means lower electric bills and lower cost of occupancy.
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