When Facebook’s proposed $800 million data center in Mesa, Ariz., was proposed, it drew strong criticism with fears that it would require enormous amounts of water for cooling in a region suffering from a water shortage.
The social media giant, responding to those fears, said it would include three water restoration projects. The efforts, the company says, will restore more than 200 million gallons of water per year in the Colorado River and Salt River basins.
Facebook said the 960,000 sf facility will use 60% less water than the typical data center due to extensive use of fresh air for cooling. The company added that it will not draw water rights from the city of Mesa.
Roughly 80% of the state of Arizona is facing severe drought conditions and it is expected to lose about one-fifth of its Colorado River water supply next year. Facebook also says it will work with local utility Salt River Project to add 50 megawatts of solar energy to the grid.
Related Stories
| Aug 6, 2014
Loudoun County, Virginia may dump green building requirements
Loudoun County, Va., supervisors may do away with a county policy that requires LEED Silver certification on new county buildings.
| Aug 6, 2014
$300 million mixed-use project in Chicago’s medical district wins key approval
The Illinois Medical District Commission approved a 1.16 million-sf, $300 million mixed-use project in Chicago’s Illinois Medical District.
| Aug 4, 2014
Facebook’s prefab data center concept aims to slash construction time in half
Less than a year after opening its ultra-green, hydropowered data center facility in Luleå, Sweden, Facebook is back at it in Mother Svea with yet another novel approach to data center design.
| Jul 31, 2014
LEED Dynamic Plaque gives owners and tenants ability to monitor building performance
The LEED Dynamic Plaque could aid certified buildings in maintaining performance with up-to-date information about water and energy use, waste reduction efforts, occupant experience, and other green performance categories.
| Jul 31, 2014
Gypsum Association releases updates to wallboard repair standards
The Gypsum Association released updates to both GA-221 Repair of Joint Ridging and GA-222 Repairing Screw or Nail Pops standards publications.
| Jul 31, 2014
Cambridge, Mass., is latest locale to require energy usage disclosure
The City Council of Cambridge, Mass., approved the Building Energy Usage and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) that requires benchmarking and disclosure of building energy performance for large commercial, institutional, and multifamily buildings.
| Jul 31, 2014
Stalled $1.5 billion Miami mixed-use redevelopment project advances
A long-delayed $1.5 billion mixed-use development in Miami moved ahead after city planners approved the project’s first phase.
| Jul 30, 2014
USGS updates National Seismic Hazard Maps
The U.S. Geological Service recently released an update of U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps that reflect the latest analysis of where future earthquakes will occur, how frequently they may occur, and their strength.
| Jul 23, 2014
Fairfax County, Virginia toughens green standards
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently strengthened its green building policy, requiring higher standards for residential, retail, office and other construction projects seeking approval for rezoning.
| Jul 23, 2014
Berkeley National Lab’s FLEXLAB is a test bed for energy efficient office design
FLEXLAB, short for the Facility for Low Energy Experiments, opened this summer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
