A small but growing range of data centers are slashing their cooling costs by using the atmosphere as their chiller, tapping nearby rivers, underground lakes, wells and even the Baltic sea. a brand new project in Norway plans to draw cold water from an adjacent fjord and use it to chill knowledge halls.
The Green Mountain Data Center is found on the shores of the island of Rennesoy, inside concrete buildings among caves carved out of the mountain. Racks of servers can currently fill underground halls that after stored ammunition for NATO.
The project is being developed by the investment arm of the Norwegian shipping firm Smedvig, which is functioning with a number one Nordic IT services firm, ErgoGroup, and electrical utility Lyse Energi.
The ability to use the fjord as a low-cost source for chilled water was a major advantage of the Rennesoy location. Green Mountain’s cooling system taps the fjord for a steady supply of water at eight degrees C (46 degrees F), which is perfect to be used in knowledge center cooling systems.
Chilled water is a key part of the many knowledge center cooling systems. This water is commonly provided by chillers, large refrigeration units that need a hefty amount of electricity to control. Eliminating the chillers can sometimes permit a data center to control with lower energy bills than similar facilities using chillers.
The Green Mountain data Center is being designed out in two phases. the primary phase is meant for traditional colocation area, and can embody concerning 7,000 square meters (about 75,000 square feet) of data center area. Another 4,000 square meters (43,000 square feet) can house knowledge center container solutions, which will also use chilled water for cooling.
The developers are within the late stages of negotiations with Norwegian clients, but believe the power is also engaging to multi-nationals based mostly within the U.S. and Europe. “We are currently mainly that specialize in corporate customers with worldwide facilities who wish to scale back their carbon footprint across their portfolio of data centres, improve their ‘green credentials’ and cut back spending on power,” said Jonathan Evans of Green Mountain.
The build-out of the colocation halls can begin in January, and the power to the power is also being upgraded. Green Mountain expects the primary clients to be installed in late 2012. Here’s a video providing a conceptual overview of the project.