The facility, which houses FedEx’s computer systems, is adjacent to the FedEx Rocky Mountain Tech Center. FedEx said it has been figuring out ways on how to cope with the huge energy required in running a data center.
The need for consistent power for maintaining the computing environment’s cool temperature and ensuring uninterrupted operations has especially been hard on the pocket, FedEx said.
An easy advantage with the new data center is location. FedEx expects Colorado Springs’ low humidity and cool air to provide the data center with an amount of free cooling – about 5,000 hours on an average year.
FedEx’s new Enterprise Data Center-West uses redundant mechanical and electrical systems that yield high levels of energy efficiency while reducing costs.
Variable frequency drives used by the mechanical systems can fine-tune the amount of power consumed in the center according to the level of demand.
Energy efficiency in the building will be calculated using the power usage effectiveness or P.U.E. ratio developed by Green Grid, a global consortium that develops energy-efficient data systems.
The P.U.E. will compare the amount of electricity needed to power its cooling systems, lights and other electrical components with the amount of electricity used to run the computing environment.
The FedEx green data center’s P.U.E. stands at 1.28 with a ratio of «1.0,» indicating perfect efficiency. According to the Uptime Institute, a typical data center has an average P.U.E. of 2.5.
Other companies taking on the P.U.E. system are Google and Facebook. Google tallies an average P.U.E. of 1.19, while Facebook expects its Prineville, Oregon facility to earn a P.U.E. of 1.15.
«The [Enterprise Data Center-West] represents a major milestone in our strategy to leverage advanced technologies for the benefit of our customers and to position FedEx for future growth,» said Kevin M. Humphries, FedEx’s senior vice president of information technology.
«We now have a technology model that, going forward, will improve productivity, enhance reliability and help reduce our impact on the environment.»
Over the next three years, FedEx said it will move core systems and applications from its customer technology center in Memphis to the new green data center.
FedEx has applied for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for the center which the company intends to use as a model for its future facilities.