Wyoming Wind boosts green data center - by Doug Mohney

Views and Opinions on Green IT (Dec 21 2011)

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   Wyoming is better known for cowboys, buffalo, and Dick Cheney, but the state also boasts one of the highest potential sources of wind energy in America.    One data center is leveraging the green angle and has already secured a number of customers.

   Green House Data, Wyoming's first multi-tenant data center just got fiber built into its facility, provided by Zayo Group.  Zayo will also provide IP transit services to Green House Data, as well as enabling on-net connectivity to 70 tenants from 24 states and three countries.

   Before we start singing hymnals to wind power in a few moments, let's stop and look at those statistics:  70 customers from 24 states in the U.S., plus three countries.  So you're looking at least 27 tenants who aren't from Wyoming -- almost 39 percent of the customers, and likely more since we don't know how many of those customers might share the same state. Wyoming isn't exactly a booming high-tech center as compared to say, Silicon Valley, Seattle, or Washington D.C., so it would be a safe bet to assume that at least half or more of Green House Data's customers are located far, far away.

   Green House Data boasts that it is a SSAE 16, Type II data center powered by 100 percent renewable wind energy and operating 40 percent more energy efficiently than traditional data centers; not only does it get its green stamp for the wind energy, it is also able to handle customers requiring tight regulatory compliance for data, including the financial and health care sectors.  Services include colocation, managed hosting, and evening "green cloud hosting."

   How do they get such to claiming that 40 percent more energy efficient?  First, there's some "free" cooling, since Cheyenne's average annual temperature is around 46 degrees F. Add on efficient CRAC units, basic measures like hot and cold aisles, and finish with a mix of energy efficient servers and more than a dash of virtualization.

   The combination of energy efficiency and a lower cost of living -- 36 percent less than LA, 36 less than Denver -- add up to lower operating costs for Green House that translate to very competitive service rates.   When you roll in wind power on top, it adds up to a very attractive option to make both the CFO and the corporate responsibility people happy. 

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