Net Zero: The New Gold Green - By Doug Mohney

Views and Opinions on Green IT (Mar 9 2011)

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   Since the phrase "green" is about as useful as these days as any other marketing term applied to data centers (i.e. let the buyer beware; look carefully if it matters to you), the new gold standard for sustainable data centers should be simple:  Zero.  As in "net zero" energy consumption.

   Net zero is getting a lot of coverage these days with the opening of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) 220,000 square foot Research Support Facility (RSF) in Colorado.  RSF started construction in February 2009 and opened its doors in June 2010.  The facility includes a data center that serves the entire campus, passive heating and cooling systems, triple-glazed windows and on-site solar panels located on rooftops and parking structures.

   At a cost of $57 million and change, RSF cost about as much as commercial office buildings of similar size in Colorado and is designed to use 50 percent less energy than a standard office building and to obtain Platinum LEED certification.   Construction wasn't carbon neutral and the facility isn't expected to be net zero in terms of carbon emissions, but officials expect to reach net zero energy consumption -- basically, generating as much electricity the building consumes.

   To even get into the net zero ballpark means having a highly efficient building design, including lots of low-energy IT devices -- like laptops instead of PCs on desktops and "smart" power strips that shutdown if nobody is in the room  -- and a data center with blade servers, dedicated hot and cold aisles, and a lot of server virtualization.

   Power comes from the installation of a 1.6 MW solar panel system covering the roof bought through a long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Sun Edison and  Xcel energy.  Sun Edison financed the initial costs of the solar powers and then turns around and sells the renewable energy credits generated to Xcel Energy; in turn, Xcel meets its percentages set by the State of Colorado to generate renewable power.  

   As crazy as it sounds, net zero will be the gold standard in parts of the world.  Data centers open up in developing markets such as in India and Africa will skew to net zero for no other reason than because there's no power infrastructure. 

   Net zero data centers will be a more difficult goal to obtain in developed markets (i.e. where there are already a gazillion flavors of data centers built).  You've got existing, relatively inefficient buildings, legacy hardware that IT and data center managers can't bear to turn off because either A) It just works and/or B) it's still bringing in cash to cover the current power bill and its maintenance.

   Despite the difficulties involved, net zero will likely become the new gold standard for new data center builds down the road.  Platinum LEED certification is nice, but having to pay for less energy, keeping carbon emissions to a minimum AND having independence from a centralized power grid with its potential for interruptions will be attractive benefits for any organization, regardless of where they plan to build.

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