green opportunities in u.s.a. data center closings - by Doug Mohney

Views and Opinions on Green IT (Jul 21 2011)

1. 

   The U.S. government plans to shut 40 percent of its computer centers over the next four years, according to the New York Times.   Could this be a greener opportunity for your company?

   Once the smoke clears, 800 out of the federal government's 2,000 data centers are expected to be closed, freeing up "acres" of real estate.  Yesterday, 187 data centers are listed to be closed in 2012. Back in April, 137 computer centers were scheduled to be closed by the end of this year, but federal agencies are moving faster than expected -- a serious shocker there! -- and expect to have 195 closings done by the end of 2011, giving a total of 373 data centers closed by the end of 2012.

   Please tell me you weren't actually planning to build another data center in the next 6-18 months, were you?  

   And the U.S. government data center space comes in all shapes and sizes, too, ranging from a Department of Homeland Security facility in Alabama covering 195,000 square feet to smaller sized lots less than 1,000 square feet in size.  

   Obviously, there are no guarantees of a good match between your growing data center requirements and the space opening up over the next two years, but depending upon where you are located and the current data center market in your area, you should have some leverage on both the leasing price and green feature upgrades you'd like to add to the space before moving in. 

   And what sort of green features should you add?  Start simple with things like LED lighting, especially for always-on/high-traffic areas where you know you'll have the light on a lot.  Hot and cold aisles and air flow control measures to optimize cooling should also be able to easily fit into a building improvements budget.

   Life gets more interesting when you start looking at big-ticket items, which typically require large space and/or lease commitments to justify the expense.  A more efficient HVAC plant would be tops on my list, especially if you're picking up space that is 5 years or older; if it's 10 years or more, this would be something to push for and if it's over 15 years old, I'd consider it a must to put in more energy-efficient equipment.

   If you want to swing for the fences and have the real estate/infrastructure, my favorite is on-site generated power.  Having a big building with a lot of open rooftop space just screams solar panels, either purchased or put up via a long-term lease with a fixed rate on electricity.  If that's not workable, maybe a longer-term purchase agreement with Bloom Energy where Bloom handles the capital expenditures and recurring costs and you just buy power at a fixed rate from Bloom.

   Needless to say, if you are looking to expand your data center space, it is much more of a buyer's market with virtualization and consolidation shrinking the need for space at the commercial, federal, and state levels.  If you've got the buying power, you should push for as much green as you can get because it will pay off in lower utility costs over the long run.

   Bookmark or Share this article

Login to comment.