To build the new data center, IBM retrofitted an existing office building on its Boulder campus. It reused 98% of the original building's shell, recycled 65% of the materials from the original building, and 25% of newly purchased material came from recycled products.
The facility is being partially powered by alternative energy sources, including more than one million kilowatt hours per year of wind-powered electricity purchased by IBM. The result is a planned reduction of approximately two million pounds of carbon dioxide produced per year compared to a standard data center.
In addition, when exterior temperature and humidity levels are favorable, the new data center's technology switches to free-cooling mode -- utilizing a water economizer to dramatically reduce energy consumption. Variable-speed pumps and motors also were installed in the air conditioning systems to balance the cooling capacities to the actual load. The center also uses low-sulfur fuels to reduce emissions from backup generators.
As a result of its efforts, IBM received a $100,000 rebate of local fees and taxes from the city of Boulder for the project. It will also receive $632,000 from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and rebates from local provider Xcel Energy.
The new Boulder facility -- designed to provide disaster recovery in the event Hartford's main data center in Hartford, CT, is knocked offline -- includes 75,000 sf of hardened raised floor area. Its completion takes IBM raised floor operations in Boulder to approximately 300,000 sf, making Boulder is IBM's largest data center location worldwide.
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