In July, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center issued an official request for information on data center sustainability practices that could be used to complement or supplement existing facilities.
NASA’s interest in energy-efficiency is being driven by a federal mandate for the agency to consolidate its buildings, as well as requiring any new government construction to use 30 percent less energy than previous structures. While the move toward data center sustainability is necessitated by the government in this case, NASA’s request for information echoes the concerns of many businesses creating new data centers. Sustainability is becoming increasingly necessary as energy prices continue to rise and resources become more scarce.
In the request, NASA explains that it is interested in information for three different approaches to creating more efficient data centers. The first is focused on short term actions and deals with utilizing retrofitted technologies and solutions. The second approach is concerned with actions that can be taken during an interim transitional period, including implementing stand alone, containerized data center solutions that “meet criteria for two distinct use cases.” The third and final approach suggest using modular data centers in order to establish a strategic plan that will work in the long-term. All of the approaches must use technologies and solutions that deliver high return on investment.
Vendors interested in submitting information to the Goddard Space Flight Center must provide enough data to make it worthwhile to create ROI projections for the transition. The agency is seeking information from large businesses as well as small businesses that are owned by women or veterans or small businesses that are disadvantaged in some way.
