NetApp has unveiled its new energy-efficient data centre at its technology centre in Research Triangle Park (RTP). The new facility will enable the company to consolidate its engineering facilities into a global dynamic lab (GDL) and will provide infrastructure for its IT operations.
Reportedly, the 132,000-square-foot facility houses a 36,000-square-foot data centre supporting 2,166 racks of data-processing equipment with a designed power load of nearly 25MW.
The company expects to reduce the data centre power consumption and estimates power usage effectiveness (PUE) to be 1.2 or 80% more efficient than the average data centre PUE of 2.02, which will result in NetApp saving $7.3m a year. The new improvements are also expected to result in reducing CO2 by 93,000 tons a year.
According to NetApp, the new RTP data centre features 74° F average supply air temperature to reduce cooling costs; Air economizer; pressure-controlled room with modulating fans; cold aisle containment; and overhead air distribution that eliminates ductwork, reducing the energy needed for fans.
In addition to its energy-efficient facility design, NetApp said that its software will help improve data management and storage efficiency in the data centre. The new data centre will leverage virtualisation technologies to build a private cloud environment to provide virtual access for NetApp engineering labs around the world.
