Blue-sky NASA plugs it's green credentials - by Doug Mohney

Views and Opinions on Green IT (Jul 7 2011)

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   Kennedy Space Center, Florida  - As NASA retires the Space Shuttle, the space agency is promoting a slate of issues to the hordes of press people who have descended upon the Space Coast.  Sustainability of the launch complex is being built through a number of projects ranging from upgrading ‘60s era infrastructure to building a pilot solar power plant with the local utility.

   The Kennedy Data Center (KDC) has moved from using server hardware on open shelves – remember this is NASA and the U.S. government, not private industry – to rack-mounted server hardware with cooling racks designed to promote airflow.  They also got rid of all monitors connected to individual servers.

   A big win came with server virtualization, cutting down on both the number of physical servers and the electricity needed to run and cool hardware.  (And trust me, cooling is a big issue here in Florida, between 90 degree (F) days and 90 percent humidity.) To date, KSC has 42 percent of its server farm made up of virtual machine servers.

   Last year, KDC put in a new 80kVA 208V power distribution system for more efficient use of facility-provided power and this year KDC will put in a second 80kVA unit.

   One energy-saving measure didn’t require capital expenditures or reworking server usage.  Beginning in 2009, KDC tuned off half of its lighting, resulting in a “continuous” annual savings of $5,274.  (Have you looked at your lighting today?)

   Moving outside of the data center, NASA has had the opportunity to stretch the envelope in applying green technologies.  The two-story Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility has a LEED Platinum rating and is the agency’s first carbon-neutral facility.  It includes a solar-powered parking station for alternative-fuel vehicles, a solar water heating system, Energy Star appliances, rainwater harvesting, Xeriscape landscaping using native species, storm water recycling, and solar panels to produce 150 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.

   In my view, NASA’s most interesting project is a joint solar project with Florida Power & Flight (FPL).  Kennedy leased land to FPL in 2008 to build a 10 megawatt photovoltaic system for electrical generation.  In exchange for use of the land, FPL provided Kennedy a separate 1 megawatt PTV system valued at $6.4 million. 

   Kennedy’s 1 megawatt facility will produce almost 1,800 megawatt hours annually, saving NASA over $162,000 in power bills in FY 2010 while cutting over 1,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.  FPL’s facility will generate almost 19,000 megawatt-hours and avoid the production of 10,306 tons of carbon emissions.

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