Is it a good idea to build data center in cold regions?

Some of the leading data center service providers in the world such as Facebook and Google have built their data centers in the icy regions. And the answer behind this strategy is obvious – to cut-down power and cooling cost. Tony Kontzer, a Tech-Target contributor, stated that when it comes to data center design, cold is all the rage. As service providers are formulating strategies to become more energy efficient, they have opted to adopt green initiative and cold areas have made it to the forefront as an inclining location.

A home for new and expanding IT infrastructures

Data center services are in the mainstream and we're seeing a sudden and rapid growth in energy consumption. Since the use of online medium has become substantially huge, data center will have to deal with the amount of data produced and the high temperature its generating by putting thousands of servers at work. And this is the reason why the rate of power utilization is high. Experts says that soon the cost of energy will dominate and it will become a great financial burden for the IT operator. They say that it will cost more than the finance required for hardware purchase and maintenance.

With an intent to minimize energy consumption and increase cooling efficiency, IT professionals are planning out strategies that would fit right in. Clearly, moving to a place that is both cold and provides a great amount of low-cost energy could help and this is seems to make cold areas the best choice. As you move northward, you'll find unpopulated regions which are colder and windier, making a perfect location to build power-hungry data center architectures. Here are few examples of how some leading IT firms are using weather to power IT facilities.

• Google's data center based in Finland cost them about $230,000,000 but the natural condition has turned out to be beneficial in cooling the facility, while it also significantly cut down energy costs.

• Even Facebook chose cold areas to build its new data center near the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden.

• The CLUMEQ silo based in Quebec works to puts the chilly weather for good use as they utilize the heat produced by their IT facility to heat the school during colder weather.

While the cooler climatic conditions is affecting the habitants, it is likely becoming a topic of interest for the IT professionals and soon these locations might turn into future focal point of technological innovation. Sounds strange, but it could soon become a fact.