ADC (Advanced Data Centers), a company based in San Francisco, is set to build the country’s greenest data center. Because of its efficiency, the project stands to save its owner from $1.8 million to $2 million in energy costs. ADC says its new center will be 25-30 percent more energy efficient than the industry standard.

The data center will use outside air to cool its racks of computing gear for 75 percent of the year, which significantly decreases its cooling needs. Ducts and pipes will be laid to maximize flow and minimize turns that reduce efficiency.

ADC has already secured a Platinum Pre-Certification for a data center under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program for rating green buildings. The building is now under construction and is set to take tenants in the first quarter of next year.

Customers will have the option of using water to cool their equipment. ADC has structured its billing so customers pay a percentage of the cooling costs, which gives customers incentive to use energy-efficient technology like virtualization.

Its Sacramento facility will also have a number of water-saving features, including the ability to capture nearly all its rainwater runoff for landscaping, its cooling towers, and bathroom fixtures.

Paints and sealants without volatile organic compounds will be used in the building, as well as porous and reflective materials to avoid absorbing heat.

Image via CNET.

More details: ZDNET