Google is building a brand-new data center in the Pacific Northwest, with access to loads of power generated by hydroelectric dams and winds along the Columbia River to keep the equipment cool. But the Silicon Valley giant is in the minority. Many companies are planting data center roots in one of the country’s hottest locales – the Arizona desert.
Why? In an interview with Forbes, Anthony Wanger, president of i/o Data Centers, said the heat from the outside isn’t a major factor. Almost all of the heat inside results from the energy generated by the data center itself. And the dry air is a big benefit because it’s easier to vent it out.
Wanger goes on to say that Arizona, like the Northwest generates a lot of power – except more in the form of nuclear power and natural gas – and exports it. And since the desert is not prone to natural disasters, it’s a reliable location.
The obvious question that remains is the potential of solar power in the sunny, Arizona desert. At this point, it’s not a primary option, Wanger says, because it’s too expensive. But some large companies are looking at building solar-generating plants in the not-too-distant future.
