New Syracuse University Data Center, Developed with NYSERDA and IBM, Provides Model to Dramatically Reduce Energy Consumption and Costs for Data Center and Telecommunications Industries

December 7, 2009

Syracuse University today opened a new computer data center with innovations that can dramatically reduce the energy consumption and costs for the data center and telecommunications industries in the future. Developed in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and IBM, the data center will provide a model to help these industries address the significant challenge of controlling high energy use.

New York has the nation’s second largest concentration of data centers, the centralized hubs that control the flow of computer information. Data centers represent the fastest growing sector of energy consumers, with energy use doubling every three to five years. The $2 million in NYSERDA funding helped Syracuse University, working with IBM, to install an on-site electric generating system that will allow these industries to significantly increase both its operational and energy efficiency.

"Syracuse University’s new data center, developed with the assistance of New York-based IBM, will be a showcase of energy efficiency for New York and the world,” said Francis J. Murray, NYSERDA’s President and CEO. “Giving these industries greater power to manage their energy use will not just save them energy, but will make them substantially more competitive in the marketplace. The partnership that brought this project to fruition showcases New York’s leadership in advancing cutting-edge energy technologies that will help New York reach Governor David Paterson’s ambitious goals for reducing our energy consumption and improving our environment.”

"The cross-sector collaboration at the center of this project epitomizes Scholarship in Action,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “IBM, New York State and SU have formed a community of experts, pooling our resources and talent to develop innovations that will enable greener, more cost-effective computing across the globe. Most importantly, the discoveries we make here will drive innovation that serves the public good.

”The $12.4 million data center is anticipated to use half as much energy as a typical data center. IBM provided more than $5 million in funding for equipment, design and support. Senator David Valesky announced today that he had secured $500,000 in additional funding from the New York State Senate.

"The Green Data Center is a smart investment,” said Senator David Valesky. “By partnering with the public sector and private organizations, Syracuse University will set a great example and provide much-needed resources for companies and organizations who are looking to reduce both IT costs and their carbon footprint.”

The on-site electric generating system funded by NYSERDA is installed in a configuration known as combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration, which recycles heat that would otherwise be wasted. In addition, the system created for Syracuse University helps eliminate the need to convert the alternating current (AC) electricity they would receive from the grid to the direct current (DC) format they use, which saves money and provides a model of efficiency for others to follow. This initiative was developed through NYSERDA’s CHP Demonstration Program which tests and proves trailblazing technologies and business models that not only benefit individual companies but that exhibit solutions for replication by a wide audience.

The CHP process of capturing waste heat offers industry and large institutions significant energy-saving potentials. With a portfolio of 150 CHP installation projects in New York State valued at a half-billion dollars, NYSERDA is a national leader in promoting CHP, and offers significant incentives to commercial and institutional customers to install clean, efficient CHP systems that help substantially reduce energy use and costs, while simultaneously increasing power reliability.

This project also bolsters New York’s standing as a leader in addressing the energy consumption and costs of data centers, which are growing rapidly and found in virtually every sector of the economy. NYSERDA will invest $115 million over the next three years to promote smart and sustainable energy management in the state’s industrial facilities and data centers.

To learn more, visit Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

CONTACT:

Jeffrey Gordon, NYSERDA
518-862-1090, ext 3544
jrg@nyserda.ny.gov