Bay Area Gets $750,000 Energy Rebate

Bay Area Internet Solutions (BAIS) will receive a $750,000 rebate from Silicon Valley Power for the energy-efficiency measures the company has implemented in its newest colocation facility in Santa Clara. The incentive for the company's 83,000 square foot data center is the maximum available from Silicon Valley Power (SVP).

"We are very proud to have built a data center that actually surpassed the SVP energy efficiency requirements in order to qualify for their maximum incentive rebate," said BAIS president and CEO, Tom Wye. "We have constructed one the most technologically advanced colocation facilities, including an innovative economizer design to accommodate today’s growing customer demands for high-density power coupled with efficient and consistent cooling requirements.”

The BAIS Santa Clara site features an unusual economizer design. One end of the data center is lined with more than 200 fans to bring fresh air into an exterior “air corridor” that surrounds the data center. The air is then filtered and used in the facility’s cooling system. Bay Area Internet expects to be able to use the air economizers to provide free cooling for 85 percent of the year.

"The main energy saving measure is our innovative economizer construction, which results in up to 75 percent energy savings on cooling," Wye said. "The second submission is our implementation of Emerson Network Power’s Liebert precision cooling systems with EC plug fans, reducing energy consumption by about 35 percent compared to non-EC plug fan CRAC units. The final submission is the implementation of Emerson Network Power’s Liebert SmartAisle systems for cold aisle containment, which reduce energy consumption by up to 70 percent compared to rows with no enclosures."