Managed hosting provider Datapipe said today that it will offset the carbon impact of its data center in Somerset, New Jersey by purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs). Datapipe will purchase wind power certificates from Constellation NewEnergy equivalent to the electricity used annually by its Somerset One data center.
The agreement allows Datapipe to account for its power usage, providing financial support for wind power generation while retaining its current redundant power feeds from the New Jersey power grid. The company said the impact of the agreement equates to a reduction of more than 8.5 million pounds of carbon emissions.
"We believe we have a responsibility to support long-term sustainability through the technologies we implement and the electricity we consume," said Robb Allen, CEO of Datapipe, who called the agreement "a big win for our clients, our company and our community."
Most data centers can't easily alter their operations to run on direct wind or hydroelectric energy, as renewables cost more than grid power and have difficulty scaling to meet the capacity required by these facilities. An alternate option is to purchase RECs, which allow companies to promote sustainable energy without switching from their existing energy supplier. RECs are issued to renewable energy providers when they deliver power to the electric grid.
"Short of putting a solar or wind energy facility on their property, this is the one of the best options to support sustainability," said Aaron Koos, a spokesman for Constellation Energy, which buys certificates from renewable energy providers and then resells to companies seeking to reduce their carbon impact. Datapipe will use Constellation NewEnergy's NewMix program, which buys RECs issued by Green-e Energy.
DataPipe's 36,400 square foot Somerset One facility employs an energy efficient design in its raised-floor data enter space, featuring hot aisle containment and a ceiling plenum that returns warm air to the computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, DataPipe has more than 1000 customers in seven data centers and eight office locations in Silicon Valley, the New York metro area, London, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
