In light of Google’s recent purchase of 312 acres practically in my backyard, I wanted to learn a bit more about what might be moving in. In researching data centers, I found surprising facts about these facilities.
Here are 13 things you might not know about data centers, gathered from facts.net and other reliable sources:
1. Data centers never sleep. They run 24/7, powering everything from emails to online gaming and video streaming. A few minutes of downtime can cost companies thousands.
2. Northern Virginia is the world's data center hub, especially around Ashburn, with more facilities than any other region on Earth.
3. The average large data center uses as much electricity as a small town, with hyperscale versions (like those owned by Google and Amazon) powering hundreds of thousands of servers.
4. Cooling is a massive energy drain, making up to 40% of a data center's power usage. Many now use liquid or immersion cooling to reduce noise and energy waste.
5. Extreme climates lead to creative solutions: Facebook uses Arctic air in Sweden, and others use seawater or recycled water to cool servers.
6. Some data centers are buried underground or housed in former military bunkers, maximizing both security and insulation.
7. Security is intense, often involving biometric scanners, surveillance, and armed guards. These aren't your typical office parks. I'm not sure a security force behind me is ideal.
8. Data centers are becoming more eco-conscious, with some reusing waste heat to warm nearby homes, offices, or even swimming pools. By the time Google builds, who knows what they will actually use?
9. Quantum computing and AI are reshaping how data centers operate, from processing power to predictive maintenance and energy optimization.
10. The world’s largest data center, in Langfang, China, is over 6 million square feet, making it bigger than the Pentagon.
11. Edge (Microsoft) data centers are smaller hubs built closer to users to cut down on lag. Think of them as digital relay stations.
12. Disguised as office buildings or warehouses, some facilities are intentionally low-profile for security and aesthetics.
13. The first data center emerged in the 1960s to support NASA’s Apollo missions. Our digital lives today evolved from moonshot thinking.
An AI tool helped me put this list together.
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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 913th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
The energy drain percentage is so high. I had no idea!
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