Microsoft announced the opening of its 470,000 square foot data center in San Antonio this week, which is being touted as the company’s “greenest” project to date, mySanAntonio.com reports.
The company invested $550 million in the data center, which will use more than 8 million gallons of recycled water per month for its cooling needs. Solar panels are also planned for the data center’s roof.
Microsoft is also in talks with CPS Energy about supporting the company’s Windtricity program. If the deal goes through, Microsoft will become CPS Energy’s largest customer using up to 50 megawatts of power.
Microsoft now charges business units by the amount of power they use in data centers instead of the space they take up on the floor.
In August, the company announced that its recycling program has cut its Redmond headquarters’ waste in half.
