Data centers
Primary power, continuity and time
- Mission critical
- 13data centers and critical facilities designed and built since 1983
- First
- 2014Alestra, the first data center with cogeneration in Mexico
- On-site energy
- 100%of Alestra’s power and chilled water
- Documented savings
- 45%on Alestra’s energy cost
For data center operators
Power for data centers, from the first hall to the full campus
A data center depends on three things the operator does not always control: how much power it can get, when it gets it and what happens when something fails. GIS Power solves all three on site, backed by a mission-critical track record that began in 1983.
What a data center needs
Volume, timing and continuityVolume. IT load grows hall by hall and client by client, and power has to grow with it without paying today for capacity needed in five years.
Timing. Connecting a large load can take longer than building the facility. A finished data center without power does not bill.
Continuity. Every component that can fail needs a backup that takes the load without interruption, and an operations team accountable for availability.
GIS Power develops, finances, builds and operates the data center’s power so the operator can focus on its business: IT capacity and its clients.
When it is not a fit
- When the data center is small, its load is steady and the site’s grid covers it comfortably with enough backup.
- When the site has no room or nearby land for solar and no gas access: on-site generation loses its case.
- When the operator prefers to own and run its own plant without a service contract: then the scope is engineering and construction only.
Solutions
Three lines for a data center
Combined according to the project’s stageGreen Data Center by GIS Power
Solar and BESS as primary power, the grid and gas as backup, financed and built in phases. See Green Data Center.
Critical power
N+1 or N+N redundancy, UPS, BESS, backup generation and O&M with contractual availability. See critical power.
Bridge power
On-site generation to start the first halls while the grid connection is completed. See bridge power.
The precedent: Alestra Green Data Center
Querétaro · 2013–2014 · 4.2 MWThe group designed, built and commissioned Alestra’s modular data center in Querétaro: 35,000 m², with 3,500 m² of white space in seven modules. The cogeneration plant, with two GE Jenbacher engines and two 350-ton absorption chillers, supplied 100% of its power and chilled water, with documented savings of 45% on energy cost.
It received DC Dynamics’ “Innovation in the Mega Data Center” award on October 1, 2014. Green Data Center by GIS Power builds on that experience and moves primary power to solar and BESS.
The group’s data centers
ESI, PMI and GIS Power, since 1983| Project | Location | Year | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTE Data Services Technology Center, phases I–III | Tampa, FL | 1987–1994 | Design, program management and construction |
| GTE Data Services (Fort Wayne and Sacramento) | United States | 1992–1994 | Design-build |
| GTE Data Services Mexico | Mexico City | 1998 | Design-build, N+1 |
| DIGEX Web Farm | Maryland | 1999 | Design and project management, N+1 and N+N |
| Telemar, phases I and II, and TNEXT | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2001–2002 | Design-build, 6 MW of redundant cogeneration at Telemar |
| Mexico City Airport Terminal 2 | Mexico City | 2006 | Tier 4 data center, design-build |
| BBVA Bancomer, Lago Esmeralda | Mexico City | 2011–2012 | Conceptual and detailed design of a Tier 4 data center |
| Alestra Green Data Center | Querétaro, Mexico | 2013–2014 | Full design and construction, with 4.2 MW of cogeneration |
Source: PMI International project history and GIS Power company profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to invest in the power plant?
Not necessarily. The plant can sit in a project company (SPV) that finances it and bills the data center for the energy or the service, with terms of 48 to 180 months depending on the structure. See contracting models.
From what size does it make sense?
Green Data Center can start with a few MW if there is a growth plan for the IT load. What matters is the load trajectory and a long-term energy contract.
What if the grid connection is delayed?
The first phase can start on on-site bridge power. If it runs continuously at 0.7 MW or more, it needs a CNE permit (Electricity Sector Law, art. 19), so the permit is filed from the start.
Can you work with another engineer’s design?
Yes. At BBVA Lago Esmeralda and Torre BBVA, for example, the group developed the design as part of a team with other firms. Power is integrated into the existing building design.
Let’s talk about your data center
Location, expected IT load and stage: that is where we start.
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