May 4, 2010 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) –
EvoSwitch, located in Amsterdam and recognized as one of the most energy-efficient data centers in the world by the German Ministry of Environmental Affairs, has announced today it will double in size to meet the rapidly rising customer demand for space in the carrier-independent and carbon-neutral data center.
The current 4,200 square meters (45,000 sq. ft.) floor area will be expanded by 5,000 square meters (55,000 sq. ft) of operational floor space, as part of the third phase of its development. Current and future customers will have extensive possibilities for outsourcing their communications and information infrastructures in the highly secure, energy-efficient EvoSwitch data center.
Energy-efficient Data Center: PUE of 1.2
Completion of the 3rd development stage will significantly increase energy savings in the already hyper energy-efficient data center. According to Eric Boonstra, Managing Director of EvoSwitch: “The additional energy savings are the direct result of the deployment of new technologies and the highly innovative configuration of our systems. This will allow us to use Free Cooling, i.e. cooling by using the outdoor temperature, 365 days per year and to keep the energy-wasting compressor completely shut off all year long. The additional growth in customers will also have a positive impact on our energy savings.”
The 3rd stage addition is scheduled to be operational in the third quarter of 2010. The additional 5,000 square meters will accommodate 800 data center racks for companies, governments and non-profit customers to securely house their information and communications infrastructures. The new 19-inch racks will be installed in 25 corridors, utilizing the most advanced Aisle Containment technology. Boonstra noted: “Efficiently managing air flows to minimize energy usage, has substantially lowered our cooling expenses, resulting in substantial savings to EvoSwitch customers. It is a win-win situation for customers and the environment.”
The EvoSwitch data center environment accommodates the infrastructures of many well-known companies, including Wikipedia, Royal Joh. Enschedé, Logica and videogame maker Codemasters. The 3rd development stage will offer current and future customers a wide range of possibilities for expansion in a highly energy-efficient data center environment. A report by the German Federal Ministry of Environmental Affairs recently describes EvoSwitch as one of the eleven most energy-efficient data centers in the world.
EvoSwitch currently has a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rate of 1.5. Once the third stage has been completed and begin to utilize the new space, calculations indicate a further decrease of the PUE rate to 1.2. Mr. Boonstra: “This is extremely energy-efficient. Traditional data centers have a PUE of 2.0 or more. Thus, after the expansion, EvoSwitch will be using at least 80% less power than a traditional data center.”
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a metric used to determine the energy efficiency of a data center. PUE is determined by dividing the amount of power entering a data center by the power used to run the computer infrastructure within it. PUE is therefore expressed as a ratio, with overall efficiency improving as the quotient decreases toward 1. PUE was created by members of the Green Grid, an industry group focused on data center energy efficiency of which EvoSwitch is an early member.
Modular Data Center Structure
The 3rd stage development will be completed quickly due to a revolutionary data center development technique utilizing a modular approach developed by supplier
DataXenter. This method will be used to install various modular data center boxes, each of which will be locally equipped with two 160 kW Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS). The 3rd stage will incorporate, as a standard feature, a 2N emergency power supply in each data center box in order to provide customers with the maximum technical assurance possible against power interruption.
EvoSwitch currently uses four 2.5 MVA transformers. Two more transformers will be added during the 3rd stage. Another four emergency power supplies of 1.5 MVA each will be added to the existing ten power supplies.
Additional private suites will be installed during the third stage as well. These are basically miniature versions of a data center, each with fully independent, closed facilities within the secure environment of EvoSwitch for customers requiring the ultimate in control and security for mission critical installations.
Investing in Green Technologies
Mr. Boonstra: “We are already investigating possibilities for further expansion of the EvoSwitch data center to 16,000 square meters (172,000 sq. ft.). I also expect that we will soon be opening new data centers in other locations around the world to meet the global needs of our customers. Many of our customers are looking for the superior qualities of EvoSwitch to meet their worldwide communications and information requirements.”
“Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important to data center customers,” says Mr. Boonstra. “The reduction in power consumption will minimize the environmental impact of their information and communications infrastructures. Energy rates and therefore the costs of hosting infrastructures will continue to increase. Investing in green technologies is just common sense. It keeps our own energy bill, and our customers’ energy bills affordable.”
EvoSwitch uses its energy savings to pay for investments in green technologies. Mr. Boonstra: “A green data center simply costs more to build than a traditional data center. These energy savings will eliminate the need to pass these extra investment costs on to our customers. This also applies to the renewable energy that we use, and to the EvoSwitch investments in CO2 compensation through our collaboration with the Climate Neutral Group.”
About EvoSwitch
EvoSwitch (www.evoswitch.com) is a “green” carrier-neutral data center (CO2-neutral). The energy-efficient data center has a PUE target of 1.2. EvoSwitch is located in the Amsterdam region, easily accessible, with a power capacity of 20 Megawatts, and a large floor area of 9,200 square meters (100,000 sq. ft.) with significant expansion possibilities. EvoSwitch is certified to standards ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, denoting EvoSwitch meets the highest standards of security and reliability. The data center, in collaboration with the Climate Neutral Group, invests in worldwide projects designed to restore the CO2 balance in the atmosphere (www.climateneutralgroup.com). EvoSwitch customers can use the logos of The Green Fan (www.thegreenfan.com) partner program on their websites to show that they use a climate-neutral data center. A report by the German Federal Ministry of Environmental Affairs describes EvoSwitch as one of the eleven most energy-efficient data centers in the world.
