Photos: Inside the Equinix San Jose data centre

By Ry Crozier

Jul 12 2010 6:15AM

Exclusive look at SV1 and sneak peek at SV5 facility.

Equinix has confirmed that its forthcoming SV5 data centre at San Jose will adhere to green construction standards and use ‘free cooling’ technology.

The new International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre, located adjacent to the company’s flagship SV1 facility, will cost approximately US$145 million to construct (see photo gallery right).

iTnews understands that several variations to the standard non-raised floor in a hot/cold aisle configuration that is a staple of Equinix centres globally are under consideration for SV5 but that no decisions have been taken.

“SV5 is a special design,” Equinix’s senior director of IBX operations in Silicon Valley Jerry Collier said.

The building itself will be constructed according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building specifications.

It will be fitted out in two phases.

Phase one of SV5, due for completion at the end of October 2010, will have about 1,000 cabinets.

The second phase – to be built whenever demand warrants – has capacity for an extra 1,600 cabinets.

Collier said that SV5 phase one would use a direct expansion (DX) refrigeration system (that is, chilled by a refrigerant).

Both phases would see refrigerate economisers installed. Economisers are also used in the SV1 centre adjacent to SV5.

SV1 background

The San Jose site that hosts the SV1 and SV5 data centres started life as a ‘black box’ centre for IBM.

It was acquired by Equinix in 1998 when the first phase of SV1 was built. Phase two was completed in 2000.

“SV1 is the hub of Silicon Valley,” Collier said.

The Equinix Exchange located in SV1 encompasses peering points that serve other Equinix centres in the Silicon Valley area – SV2, SV3 and SV4 – via a diverse fibre ring connecting the facilities.

SV1 has an average rack density of 1.75 kW. SV5 will support an average 4 kW per cabinet, according to Collier, although higher densities are possible, as long as customers are willing to pay for the space.

Green credentials

Collier said Equinix had received a US$131,404 rebate from its electricity utility in California for energy efficient projects in phase one of SV1.

It has most recently changed the lighting in the phase one area from incandescent lights to LEDs.

Lighting in customer cages is also now controlled by sensors rather than having a switch in the cage or having a switch that turns on lights only in a block of cages.

“As new technology comes out, if it’s available we’ll use it,” Collier said.

“It helps us stay green.”