Inside an Icelandic datacentre
Summary: ZDNet UK visited Iceland to see how a 100-percent renewable energy-powered free-cooled datacentre fared using Colt's modular design in Iceland's remote, chilly climate
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Colt datacentre modules
Iceland has a relatively mild climate, with temperatures rarely deviating beyond a low of -8°C and a high of 16°C, according to data from Wolfram Alpha.
"Having been an engineer in Alaska, I don't like designing [facilities] when it's -20, -30, -40°," Cantrell said. "I like the temperate climate in Iceland."
This makes the country ideal for free-cooled datacentres and so, in an unusual move for Colt, it delivered its module to Verne Global without any direct-expansion chillers. "We also upgraded the [air] filtration system and installed mild winterisation heating in front of the UPS as a precaution," Ruddock said.
The ability to use external air all year round and Colt's relatively efficient modular design means the facility should attain a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of around 1.2, Cantrell said.
Colt's modules (pictured) can be installed in a basic warehouse shell. In the case of volcanic eruptions or sudden spikes in temperature, the modules can seal themselves off to prevent airborne particles damaging the server and to keep temperature stable.
Image credit: Jack Clark
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