BCNET's Zero Carbon Data Center...

When, Where and How?

Dan Gillard
Manager Cyberinfrastructure

BCNET
 The Concept
• Use cyberinfrastructure to combat global warming by reducing
computing infrastructure’s carbon footprint
• Find efficient ways to share computing facilities that are close to
sources of green power by utilizing BCNET’s advanced network
infrastructure within the Province
• Make it possible for BC’s Universities to reduce their carbon
footprint by relocating their existing ICT infrastructure to “greener
facilities”
• Build a zero carbon data centre and use the BCNET/CANARIE
ROADM network to connect users to it
 What is a zero carbon building?
• A zero energy building or net zero energy building is
a general term applied to a building with zero net energy
consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Zero
energy buildings are autonomous from the energy grid
supply - energy is produced on-site. All of the building's
energy needs are met on the property, and it does not
increase either energy demand or greenhouse gas
emissions.

Source: Wikipedia
How are GHG emissions reduction credits created?
• Audit existing non-green infrastructure that operate
business as usual – ISO14064
• Create a project (zero carbon data center) that reduces
green house gas emissions
• New project reductions are verified by independent 3rd
parties for scientific and environmental integrity
• GHG credits are awarded and recorded in a registry that
verifies quality and tracks ownership
 Why the need for a new data center?
• Existing legacy data center designs are inefficient and oversized for their maximum
capacity and typically draw two to three times the amount of power required for IT
equipment
• Many of the data centers currently housing HPC infrastructure are at least 10 to 15
years old, are reaching end of life, and have difficulty keeping up with current
demands
• Many of the current data centers are running out of space and have to expand their
current infrastructure or build new facilities. Difficult to do at their current locations.
• Green computing facilities can help lower our carbon footprint and reduce the
emissions of green house gases
• A zero carbon data center can set an example for environmental stewardship and
attract global recognition
• Attract interest from the public and private sectors
 Current data center challenges
• Cooling and electrical costs can represent up to 44% of a data centers total cost of
ownership
– The Uptime Institute estimates , the three-year cost of powering and cooling servers is currently one-and-a-
half times the cost of purchasing server hardware
• With the growing demand for cheaper and ever-more-powerful high-performance
computer clusters, the problem is not just paying for the computers, but determining
whether institutions have the budget to pay for power and cooling
• Current Campus power is at a premium if available at all to light new initiatives
• Some institutions can’t deploy more servers because extra space and electricity isn’t
available at any price.
• Many utilities, especially those in crowded urban areas, are telling customers that
power feeds are at capacity and they simply have no more power to sell. BC Hydro
currently has to import power to meet its demands
 When
• Apr 2009 – Feasibility study began
• Nov 2009 - Study and full business case completed
• Jan 2010 - Presentation to funders
• Mar 2010 - Commitments from project participants
• Fall 2010/11 - Construction of Green Data Centre starts

Where?
Where: MUST be on the ROADM Network
Where: MUST be in the BC Interior
Where: MUST be in proximity to a clean source of power
Hydroelectric

BC Hydro to
500MW
Add 500MW of
capacity to the
Revelstoke Dam
by 2010!
 HOW?
• Audit existing facilities to establish a baseline of requirements
– ISO14064
• Choose a location close to a clean power source aka a Hydro Dam
• Employ next generation data center design principles and
architecture
• Leverage BCNET partners knowledge and experience
• Implement using industry best practices (Microsoft, Google, Sun
etc.)
• Go MODULAR, start small and expand as necessary, deploy
capacity when the demand dictates it
 Benefits of a Modular Design
• No need to make large up front investments, this drives capital costs more
in line with actual demand
• Incredibly energy efficient
• Reduces the amount of water required for cooling and may even eliminate it
• Facilitates decommissioning, upgrades, and repairs quickly
• With the central spine infrastructure in place, containers or pre-
manufactured server pods can be either AC or DC, air-side economized or
water-side economized
• Modular containers are customizable, end users are no longer limited to
standard racks and cabinets that can’t accommodate super computing
profiles
Example: Microsoft’s GEN 4 Data Center Vision

“A highly modular, scalable, efficient, just-in-time

data center capacity program that can be
delivered anywhere in the world very quickly and
cheaply, while allowing for continued growth as
required.” 
 MS GEN 4 Data Center – Key Characteristics
• Scalable
• Plug and play spine infrastructure (backplane for plug & play pods)
• Factory pre-assembled: Pre-Assembled Containers
(PACs) & Pre-Manufactured Buildings (PMBs)
• Rapid deployment
• De-mountable and easily Re-deployable
• Reduced construction costs
• Sustainable
MS GEN 4 – Spine Infrastructure
MS GEN 4 – Pre-Assembled Container Farm Farm
MS GEN 4 – Modular Cooling Design
 A new green data center provides solutions
• Move existing and locate new infrastructure off the grid to a zero carbon
energy source, earning carbon credits
• Can reduce power consumption with innovative technologies
• Can reduce cooling requirements with innovative designs
• Will operate efficiently
• Can facilitate large scale virtualization and cloud computing
• Provides an opportunity to manage and measure power usage more
effectively (green grid etc.)
• Provides the opportunity to implement a modular platform with lower initial
deployment costs while leveraging incremental expandability as needs for
space grows
• Will foster innovation and attract best of breed technologies
Thank you.