Free cooling lures Facebook to Arctic's edge

[Renew Deal]

Data center in northern Sweden will use outside air year-round to cool machines, draw on renewable hydroelectricity for power

In a move that will further bolster Facebook's green data center credentials, the social networking giant plans to build an enormous new 120MW data center in Luleå, Sweden, just 62 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The company will make the official announcement Thursday, according to the Telegraph.

The allure of the locale is three-fold: First, it's a prime location for taking advantage of free cooling -- that is, using outside air to chill machines instead of running costly CRAC (computer room air conditioner) units 24/7. Second, dams on the Luleå river generate an abundance of renewable electricity -- enough so that half is exported -- so Facebook needn't worry about an energy shortfall any time soon. Third, Sweden has a dense fiber-optic network, which means data can flow reliably and easily through Finland and on into Eastern Europe and Russia.
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http://www.infoworld.com/t/data-center/free-cooling-lures-facebook-arctics-edge-177233

[tridim]

1. And they won't have to pay US taxes.

:woohoo:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Indeed

[democrat_patriot]

3. Why not build in Alaska? Or another northern state that is cold.

I'm sure they could find alternative energy sources there (or build them).

[tridim]

4. Exactly, I was just about to post that addendum.

All this is is touchy feely outsourcing. I guess Zuckerberg isn't happy with his 17.5 billion, he wants more.

[caraher]

5. There's also the third factor mentioned

The article in the OP says Sweden has an optical fiber infrastructure already in place that I suspect Alaska does not. Scandinavia is much more densely populated and connected to centers of commerce than areas at similar latitudes in North America.

[XemaSab]

6. Scandinavia probably has qualified workers too

Not to bag on Alaska, but my impression of the place is that it's all roughnecks and subsistence hunters up there, and trying to lure qualified American workers from the Bay Area to Frostbite, AK would be a tough sell.


BTW, I bet corporate taxes in Sweden are higher than they are here.