Google considering wind-powered data center in Kansas
BNIM Architects, a Kansas City, Mo.-based company, says that Google is considering the possibility of building a 20-megawatt wind-powered data center in Greensburg, Kan.
Bob Berkebile, a partner with the company, told Greensburg residents and officials about BNIM’s plan for helping to rebuild the city, which was destroyed by a tornado in May. No doubt it’s still early in the process, but Berkebile said Google is “currently doing feasibility studies on the possibility” of building the data center. The city is in the midst of trying to rebuild the city on the foundation of being green.
It’s no secret that Google is unafraid of seeking out rural locations for data centers if the economics and environmentals make sense. Its project in Iowa, for example, includes cheap power from a utility that plans to add more wind power to its portfolio. The search engine giant announced this summer that it wants to go carbon neutral by 2008 (note: that’s in a few days), and so seeking out alternative forms of energy is a priority. It’s already installing nearly 10,000 solar panels at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters to provide 1.6 megawatts — about one-third — of that facility’s energy needs.
Posted: December 27th, 2007 under Data center room design and site selection, Green data center.
How about a LPG gas plant in Greensburg. By product of this process of compressing natural gas for automobile fuel is cold air. Use this cool byproduct to cool the data centers main frames.
Comment by Larry Burke — January 9, 2008 @ 6:11 am