FedEx Corp. recently celebrated the grand opening of its first environmentally sustainable data center, located adjacent to the FedEx Rocky Mountain Tech Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. FedEx says that based on the application of a number of green design standards, the Enterprise Data Center-West can be counted among the most energy-efficient data centers in the United States.
Phase 1 of the construction of the 140,000-square-foot building began in 2006 and was completed in 2008. Phase 2 upgraded the existing data center infrastructure and added an additional 26,000 square feet. Recently, FedEx applied for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification of the EDC-W. LEED certification is the benchmark for buildings that are designed, constructed and operated sustainably.
The EDC-W was constructed with a range of redundant mechanical and electrical systems that yield a high level of energy efficiency while reducing costs. During the construction phase, crews diverted more than 75 percent of the construction waste from a landfill. Additionally, nearly 11 percent of the building products were extracted and produced regionally, and more than 14 percent of other materials contain recycled content.
“The EDC-W represents a major milestone in our strategy to leverage advanced technologies for the benefit of our customers and to position FedEx for future growth,” says Kevin M. Humphries, senior vice president of Information Technology for FedEx Services. “We now have a technology model that, going forward, will improve productivity, enhance reliability and help reduce our impact on the environment.”
