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Will Rooftop Shrubs Cool Your Data Center?
California ISP ASIO.net is implementing a novel approach to cutting cooling costs in its data center: planting shrubs on the roof. LinuxWorld provides the details:
It's called a "green roof" and it involves putting about three to four inches of dirt on the roof and planting bush-type, drought-resistant plants. It will cost the Californian firm about $30,000 to cover 2,000 square feet over a data center that houses about 300 servers. But (ASIO.net IT manager Phil) Nail believes his green roof may cut data center cooling needs by half.The EPA web site notes the Heat Island Effect and discusses green roofs as a management technique. "On hot summer days, the surface temperature of a vegetated rooftop can be cooler than the air temperature, whereas the surface of a traditional rooftop can be up to 90°F (50°C) warmer," the EPA notes. For more on green roofs, check out the Wikipedia entry on greenroofs, Green Roofs 101 or the Green Roofs Industry Association.
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By Rich Miller 
January 12, 2007 | Permalink | >Get Posts By E-mail
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