Facebook ‘Friends’ Energy Efficiency in New Data Center

by | Jan 22, 2010

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fb dataFacebook is making a priority of energy efficiency at its forthcoming data center.

The Prineville, Ore., data center will feature an evaporative cooling system, which Facebook says uses less energy than traditional chiller-style systems. Prineville has a dry climate, reports OregonLive.

An “airside economizer” brings cool air in from the outside, while heat generated by the servers will be used to keep the adjacent offices warm.

Finally, Facebook has developed a proprietary system for maintaining uninterrupted electricity supply that uses 12 percent less energy than other systems.

The 147,000-square foot facility is costing up to $215 million to build, reports OregonLive, in a separate article.

This will be Facebook’s first data storage facility. Until now it has leased storage from others.

Facebook says it is pursuing LEED Gold status for the data center.

The Prineville data center has its own identity on the social networking site, with more than 700 fans.

For more details on the energy saving features, click here.

Data centers are seeking energy savings by going to a range of techniques.

For instance, by eliminating vibrations, a server can read hard disks more efficiently, using less energy. At the same time, data centers can benefit from converting to DC power systems to eliminate the energy loss inherent in AC systems. Another trend is the use of free-cooling.

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