Interconnection and data center company, Equinix, has been awarded the 2015 Asia Pacific Data Center Green Innovation Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan. Equinix was specifically recognized for its continued focus on designing and managing “industry leading” green data centers across the Asia Pacific region.
Equinix was awarded the Green Innovation Leadership Award based on its ability to demonstrate outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technology innovation, customer service and strategic product development.
An example of this includes the retrofitting of its Singapore based, SG1 International Business Exchange (IBX) data center with a granular temperature control system that has improved the facilities Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and achieved savings of more than 8 million kilowatt hours of energy between 2012-2014.
Every Equinix data center uses technology and techniques that reduce its environmental impact. Equinix’s global IBX operations and engineering teams have implemented comprehensive conservation and efficiency programs that include energy and water conservation.
Equinix’s data centers in Asia-Pacific deploy:
- Adaptive control systems that reduce power consumption and increase cooling capacity through active airflow management
- Motion-activated lighting sensors to reduce energy consumption coupled with energy-efficient LED systems
- Cold/hot aisle containment that uses physical barriers to reduce the mixing of cold air in data center supply aisles with the hot air in their exhaust aisles, resulting in lower energy consumption and more efficient cooling
- Variable frequency drives that are deployed in chillers, pumps and fans in Equinix’s HVAC systems to save energy by automatically reducing a motor’s speed and power draw to match lower system loads
Equinix’s data centers in Sydney (SY3), Hong Kong (HK2 phase 2, HK3 phase 2) and Tokyo (TY4) have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certifications for high building standards by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The three data centers were awarded for excellent performance in terms of energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reductions, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to its impact on the environment.
Additional data centers in Hong Kong (HK1 phase 9) and Singapore (SG3) are pending LEED Gold certification. All of Equinix’s data centers in Singapore have received SS 564 certifications, a Singaporean green building standard similar to LEED.
PUE 1.45
To reinforce Equinix‘s focus on green initiatives and energy conservation, it has set aggressive targets of 1.45 or lower for the company’s design average power usage effectiveness (PUE). Equinix recently also signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for solar power that will cover all of its California data centers and will increase its use of clean, renewable sources from 30 percent to 43 percent globally.
Now in its eighth consecutive year, the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards recognize companies across industries commending their diligence, commitment, and innovative business strategies required to advance in the global marketplace.
