DAILYHOSTNEWS, November 18, 2011- Facebook has received LEED Gold Certification for the first phase of its Prineville data center in Oregon, accreditation that proves the efficiency of its infrastructure and operations.
On its Prineville Data Center page on Facebook, the social media site said this data center was designed to be “the most energy efficient in the world”, with a redesigned physical infrastructure to get the best efficiency measures.
It said the result was a data center that uses 38% less energy than its other facilities to carry out similar workloads and a data center that requires “53% less energy to operate than a comparable facility built to code requirements.”
Facebook has already announced three phases for the Prineville site, which covers 120 acres: Phase 1 is already in operation, Phase 2 started construction in October and is due to open before the end of the year and Phase 3 was announced in July this year.
All facilities are designed to mimic the other. Phase 1 opened in April this year, the first half of the building spanning about 150,000 sq ft.
Facebook said the data centers incorporate a range of innovations, including 100% outside air evaporative cooling with no chillers or cooling towers, custom servers that use 38% less energy and an on-site substation that reduces loss from transformations and conversions.
“We are proud to have pioneered several new technologies in the design and operation here, including new energy-efficient server designs and a low-energy evaporative cooling system that make use of the low-humidity climate of Central Oregon’s high-dessert setting to eliminate traditional air conditioners,” Facebook said.
“In addition to its energy efficiencies, the Prineville data center includes many other environmental conservation features, both in its construction and in its use.”
It said 27% of building materials were recycled product and 30% were sourced locally while 91% of the word used was FSC-certified from sustainability-managed forests.
It also put effort into the handling of construction waste, preventing 530 tons from going to landfill by recycling or reusing the resources.
LEED, the program developed by the US Green Building Council that has since been recognized globally, aims to cover all elements of green building design so Facebook’s water use was also taken into account.
It said 100% of rainwater is captured and re-used for irrigation and toilet flushing, saving 272,000 gallons of treated water a year.
Website: www.facebook.com
