The garage as an office will no longer suffice. You’ve grown your company, and it’s now time to move to a bigger and more technologically equipped commercial space.
You’re an IT company that relies heavily on computers and other equipment. You now need to build a bigger data center with an optimized HVAC, one that would ensure minimal to zero repairs for your precious computing machines. Whether you’re located in the colder climates of Utah and Colorado or the warmer weather of the Florida coast, you will find expert service providers to help you determine the best set-up and option.
Before making that big leap, from a garage to a big office building, you might consider the following checklist as a useful guide.
Is It Really Necessary?
You know that as an IT company, your greatest asset is the data that you have, which resides on racks of servers and other data storage devices. These machines, which are typical “On” 24/7, heat up your data center room. Without the proper ventilation and cooling system, you run the risks of overheating and consequently shutdowns.
You may damage or lose data. You could probably lose your business and quite possibly, face lawsuits in the process.
Don’t risk it and “Yes!”, cooling your future data center is necessary.
Cooling Cost
“The cost of my equipment already forms a significant part of my budget. Do I need to spend more just to keep my data center cool?”
Yes!
There are ways, however, to wisely manage the cost, by ensuring an efficient data center airflow. An inefficiently run data center can account for cooling cost at nearly twice the budget for hardware.
A 2015 survey of the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that 24% of data center budgets account for the cost of cooling. If you peg your budget at $1.5 million, cooling will cost $360,000 per year.
There are other estimates that say the cost of cooling may equal or be greater than the total cost of the IT equipment itself.
Scouting for Locations
They say that the success of a business depends on three things only: “Location! Location! Location!”
Finding the right building in the right location is also crucial when you are establishing a data center. Reliability of power grids, presence of telecommunication infrastructure, networking services, and transportation lines are all important considerations.
Does the building provide for a 24/7 air-conditioning system at no extra cost? Is it located on a geological fault line and therefore susceptible to damage caused by earthquakes?
The Bunker in the United States and Bohnhoff Pionen in Sweden are two of the most secure data centers in the world. Both built as nuclear bomb shelters, the former measures 40,000 square foot with tunnels, and now has new adjoining buildings, and the latter is found 30 meters beneath the Earth’s surface lined by a 40 cm thick steel door.
While you may not have the budget nor the capability to build such data fortresses, The Bunker and Bohnhoff Pionen emphasize how serious you should be about securing your data center.
The Heat Is Off
Glenn Frey’s song “The Heat is On!” might have been a hit back in 1984 but as far as data center goes, the heat should be off. You need to determine and get rid of unnecessary heat sources like light bulbs, heaters, or even light or heat emanating from a glass window.
Reducing unnecessary heat sources saves energy and cost.
Going Green
Finally, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) classifies whether a building is designed and built “green.” Check if the building of your choice is LEED-certified.
