Data Center Ecosystem » Green data center

USGBC – Data centers and hospitality the same?

Carrie Higbie — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:59:45 +0000

In the new LEED certification program, data centers once again fall under the commercial building document up for draft comments and public comments until January 14, 2011. Although data centers quite often reside in commercial buildings, the two can simply not be treated the same. But as the document specifically call out data centers, it is worth mentioning here to encourage everyone involved in data centers to respond.

The document has several flaws as it relates to data centers including fireplaces, open windows, climate control access to personnel for personal comfort, building near public transit, and other clauses that are generally frowned upon in or around a data center.

It’s time for a new LEED data center certification that incorporates Energy star and other initiatives. Or at a minimum, the data center sections need to be removed from sections where it makes NO sense for data centers to be mentioned before some interpretation gone wrong leads to disastrous but LEED certified consequences.

FM200 shortage

Carrie Higbie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:41:32 +0000

Dupont has announced a shortage of raw materials for the manufacture of FM200. While most companies simply store it, companies that have had a discharge due to fire may find an extraordinarily long lead time to refill their storage, or find an alternate solution to the system. FM200 has been the primary fire suppression since Halon was banned years ago. For those companies that have had a discharge of their system, it has been reported that there may be a several month lead time to have fire suppression recharged leaving those companies to rely on other methods for fire suppression in the interim.

While companies are in the process of “greening” data centers, fire suppression is likely to fall under the green umbrella as more environmentally friendly fire suppression methods are found. If you happen to be planning a new data center build, it is worthwhile to investigate other fire suppression methods that are more “green” and in great supply, or at least not as susceptible to raw materials.