The new building cost about 40 percent less (or 10 billion won) than the first annex building completed in 2012 by taking advantage of a new server technology.(image: Kobizmedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – Data centers, long considered energy hogs, have rapidly emerged as the pioneer of smart energy technology. KT, Korea’s largest telecom service provider, said on August 5 that it would expand its Cloud Data Center in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, to create the world’s best green data center.
To that end, the company will build the center in a “modular type,” meaning a data center that can be operational within five months to one year after breaking the ground using standardized modular parts and components. In general, most data centers require three to eight years to build and furnish with necessary equipment.
“I am glad to show to the world our newest smart energy technology. In preparation for the upcoming ‘Gigatopia’ era in which data requirements increase at an explosive rate, we at KT will lead the initiative in creating new super energy-saving data centers.”
Hwang Chang-gyu, KT chairman
Indeed, it took only five months for the annex building in the Cheonan cloud data center to be operational. In addition, the new building cost about 40 percent less (or 10 billion won) than the first annex building completed in 2012 by taking advantage of a new server technology.
The server rooms in the second annex building can be run at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest among the world’s data centers, thereby saving up to 36 percent in air-conditioning cost.
Usually data center server rooms must be kept at below 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). In 2012, KT succeeded in developing a technology to operate server rooms at an average of 27 degrees Celsius in its High Temperature Ambient Test Center at the Cheonan cloud data center. This time, the company succeeded again to raise the threshold temperature to 30 degrees by relying on outside natural breeze for cooling.
Hwang Chang-gyu, KT chairman, said, “I am glad to show to the world our newest smart energy technology. In preparation for the upcoming ‘Gigatopia’ era in which data requirements increase at an explosive rate, we at KT will lead the initiative in creating new super energy-saving data centers.”
By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
