Facebook builds a “green” data center on the edge of the Arctic Circle
Facebook, the biggest name in social networking, announced the plans to build an eco-friendly server farm in the small town of Lulea in Sweden. One may wonder why the California-based Facebook decides to go all the way to Europe for their newest data center. Since this facility is aimed to supply and manage the Internet traffic from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, it will surely need a lot of power. That is why it is important that Lulea has a very cold climate – to keep the powerhouse servers cool. The local temperature seldom goes over 80° Fahrenheit or 25° Celsius and this has been the advantage of the small Swedish town – perfect to be home to server farms. Another crucial factor in choosing the location was the access to renewable sources, mainly from hydroelectricity.
The Plan. By 2014, this new data center will be completed with three 300,000-square foot buildings. The required energy to power this facility will be 120 megawatts – all of which will be from hydropower. The advanced cooling system will be powered by evaporating water. The icy air of the town will cool down the plant and the heat from the server racks will warm up offices in the site.
How much is it? Facebook did not divulge the cost of the green data center. However, there are estimates that the construction will amount to about $760 million.
What are the servers for? They are the pillars of foundation of Internet sites like Facebook. The servers daily save and send out millions of status updates, shares links, posted photos and all the other actions done by Facebook users.
Where are the other centers? The sprouting of Facebook data centers are essential in meeting the extremely fast expansion of the company and the need for more centers to accommodate the increasing load of data to store. Facebook currently stores data at centers in California, Oregon and Virginia and another in the works in North Carolina.
While Greenpeace approves of this eco-friendly move of Facebook, it still wants “more” from the social networking giant. It encourages Facebook to also apply the use of green energy in all of its global data centers.
It is amazing that Facebook is going through great lengths to ensure that its expansion generates the smallest carbon footprint possible. If you want to join the green bandwagon, you can begin with simple and yet effective steps. A good start is replacing your usual promotional items with ones that Mother Nature will approve of like reusable recycled bags or BPA-free reusable drinking bottles made from recyclable materials. Doing this may be easy but it has a big effect on our environment. Want to know more simple but valuable acts you can do for your business and our planet? You can count on Factory Direct Promos for hundreds of ideas on how you can turn your business green. With eco-friendly solutions that can jumpstart your eco transformation, you can take your business up without having to put Mother Earth down. To know more about our amazing products such as our reusable shopping bags, check out FactoryDirectPromos.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter!
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