How is Google innovating in data center sustainability?
I think it’s fair to say that Google has done some pretty innovative things. They seem to be a smart and focused bunch of people. Not surprisingly, companies with talented, focused people can be quite innovative. When you throw billions of dollars of funding behind them, the results can be pretty impressive.
Recently, Google’s use of recycled water as a part of their data center operations created a lot of press. A blog from their Facilities Manager, Jim Brown, revealed that Google was using recycled water to cool 100% of their data center here in Georgia. The use of recycled water for cooling is pretty smart. Data centers are huge consumers of resources. Unless they are built and managed intelligently, they can have significant environmental impacts.
Why is recycled water an effective cooling solution?
Using recycled water allows a data center provider or colocation facility to avoid placing additional strain on the local water supply because recycled water has already been used once and has not yet been returned to the environment. According to the blog, Google intercepts recycled water from the local water authority, treats it further and uses it for heat exchange in their data center cooling. A portion of the water that is used evaporates. The rest of the water is treated again and returned to the environment in a clean, clear and safe form.
What makes Google’s approach noteworthy for the industry?
Google has done something truly impressive here, both by providing a clever solution that addresses an environmental concern associated with their data centers and by increasing awareness of intelligent options to lessen the environmental impact of data center operations. And of course, it’s nice to see another group of smart, focused data center individuals coming to the same conclusion we did around recycled water use.
How is Internap applying similar sustainable practices?
Internap has been using recycled water to cool its data center in Santa Clara, CA since it opened in 2010. While we knew it was making a difference for us, the third-party validation from Google sure feels good.
