Which Florida Data Centers Innovate with Power and Cooling?

Finding a Florida data center is quite easy; from Tallahassee to Miami to Tampa to Orlando, and many places in between, there are many to choose from. 

Data centers use immense power and require a cooling system rivaling any refrigeration warehouse.

Arguably, power and cooling are the two most exhaustive costs of operating any data center, and for this reason, data centers are looking for new and innovative ways to cut these costs.

Did you know a medium-sized data center may use as much as 3.2 megawatts of power? That is enough power to run roughly 500 homes!

Some data centers in Florida are working with the power companies during the planning and construction phases, allowing them to create buildings that are as energy-efficient as possible from the start. 

Companies specializing in developing and manufacturing power and cooling systems have emerged, helping to build new data centers in the most energy-efficient ways possible. 

Vertiv (Emerson Network Power) in Sarasota, Florida, is one such company. While it is not a data center, it works with data centers by providing backup systems, power supplies, and precision cooling. 

Some new power and cooling innovations include:

• Two power-generating units operating parallel with each other to supply power requirements, dropping the rate of failure of both units to only 0.02%
• Auto transfer switches with manual backup
• Cooling leak detection under all raised floors
• Keeping data center temperatures at around 80⁰ F rather than 68⁰ F (if it is cold inside the data center, there is an opportunity for better energy efficiency).

Cologix Data Center

Cologix has two Florida data centers and is working to maintain an energy-efficient footprint. 

Most data centers have redundant power supplies and backup battery systems. Historically, batteries have been replaced about halfway through their ‘normal lifetime’, to ensure they do not fail and cause downtime for customers. So, a five-year battery string is replaced about every two to three years, making this a costly expense (but deemed necessary by some). 

Cologix data center sites are now being monitored by the Canara Monitoring Operations Center, a hardware-independent monitoring system that continuously checks each battery or battery string. This allows Cologix to safely and successfully run the battery or battery strings for four to five years, saving the company a lot of money while maintaining a reliable environment. 

Cologix provides its customers with custom cabinets. From different locking systems to specific doors or wheels, it gives the customer what it wants. Cologix utilizes custom doors and panels for these cabinets for cooling systems to facilitate better airflow.

WOW! Business / E Solutions

This Florida data center understands that it has weather and water to contend with. WOW! The business has backup power generators indoors, ensuring they are 50+ feet and 90+ feet above sea level. 

It also has a private indoor power substation, and the entire site is equipped with a Transient Voltage Surge Suppression (TVSS)… or a big surge protector. 

The completely redundant HVAC systems are monitored 24/7/365 by on-staff security; each rack is fully monitored to ensure no overheating of the systems.

Just Two Examples

These are just two examples of Florida data centers that are finding new and innovative ways to use power and cooling. 

Since power and cooling make up a large portion of operating expenses, more and more data centers will be looking for cost-effective alternatives to maintaining data centers. 

Do you manage a data center in Florida that offers innovative ways to power and cool your facility? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments box below.

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