Renewable energy has emerged as a top demand for businesses seeking data center providers, especially for those located in or around Silicon Valley.
Just recently, Infomart Data Centers announced that its Silicon Valley facility is now purchasing 100 percent renewable power for all of its electricity consumption.
Infomart is one of many companies that have made public commitments to procure 100 percent renewable power by a certain time, and a list of these influential organizations can be found at RE100.
According to RE100, the private sector now accounts for about half of the world’s electricity consumption. Switching this demand to renewables will greatly accelerate the transformation of the global energy market and will aid in the transition to a low carbon economy.
Another purchasing coalition leadership example is the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and its Future of Internet Power initiative that has established standards and principals for sourcing renewal energy for data centers with a goal of creating an Internet that is entirely powered by renewable energy. Infomart Silicon Valley has met the challenge set forth by BSR in 2017, and it has done so in a way that is transparent and repeatable so that other companies can follow.
Of course, the definition of renewable energy tends to change by state and jurisdiction. The California Energy Commission has an official benchmark Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), which is one of the most ambitious standards in the country. California requires energy service providers to purchase 27 percent renewable energy by 2017, 33 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2030. By purchasing 100 percent renewable energy by today’s RPS standard, Infomart is decades ahead of California’s requirement.
“Since the company’s inception, Infomart has consistently been ahead of our competitors in demonstrating commitment to environmental responsibility,” stated John Sheputis, President Infomart Data Centers. “Data centers use substantial amounts of energy and we believe it’s our moral duty to be both an efficient operator and to make responsible choices about energy procurement. Having a great PUE is not enough. Simply buying Renewable Energy Certificates from a distant source is not enough.”
According to Sheputis, price is no longer a barrier when purchasing renewables.
“Over the last few years, renewable power pricing has become competitive with higher carbon energy sources,” he commented. “Using Direct Access to buy a 100% renewable mix 24×7 costs 6 percent more than the higher-carbon alternative. We could have saved money, but this was clearly the more responsible choice.”
Infomart’s renewable energy initiative is not the first in its ongoing plan to environmental responsibility. Infomart Portland , for instance, set the renewable power precedent for the Infomart data center portfolio back in 2015 when the property used Direct Access rights to source power from the nation’s largest producer of hydroelectric power, the Bonneville Power Administration.
What’s more, Infomart Silicon Valley recently converted to using non-potable, or “gray water,” for 100 percent of the mechanical infrastructure and irrigation surrounding the facility, earning Infomart the 2016 Recycled Water Customer of the Year award.
The LEED Gold Silicon Valley facility is also the only wholesale data center in California to provide Direct Access power pricing with metered power solutions. All Infomart properties are designed to maximize energy efficiency and maintain industry-leading PUE metrics.
To learn more about Infomart Silicon Valley, click here.