With the increase in remotely performed operations, and the need for less work crew on site due to automated procedures, there are a wide range of locations that can be selected for construction of your data center. Below are some considerations to be made in regards to choosing a site for future construction.
Cheap Primary Power Source
The most crucial part of any data center is it’s primary power source. Being connected to a large power grid and the accompanying infrastructure can help reduce costs of kilowatt per hour usage. The downside is that searching for a cheap power source may restrict a multitude of other factors that should be considered when choosing a site for construction, but under certain conditions the potential benefits from cheap power may make up for other potential detriments. The extra working capital from a cheap power source would be of primary concern for data centers which have an unexpected rate of growth and may require substantially more power in the future.
Low Population Areas
Typically areas out of the urban environments allow for easier construction and expansion due to more relaxed zoning laws. Less population density also allows for easier security monitoring and better isolation of the data center, providing more acute risk management, as less human factor is introduced. These areas may also have lower living expenses and in turn potentially provide cheaper labor.
Damage To Operations From Climate
It’s ideal to find climates that are consistent when selecting a site for your data center. Being on the lower side of the temperature range without being in the extremes is also a great way to allow for passive cooling, which affords the opportunity to cut costs further. Avoiding areas prone to devastating acts of nature is a crucial concern as these events can devastate and destroy not just potentially your data center, but also the surrounding infrastructure. Therefore Excessively rainy climates prone to flooding should be avoided, and considerations of other environmental hazards unique to some regions should be made. In most cases arid cool environments in low population areas with access to proper roadways are the preferred choice for a data center.
