Data Center Aims for PUE of 1.2

A data center designed by CH2M HILL/IDC Architects for Grainger in Lake Forest, Ill., has an advanced cooling system using outside air to cool the facility and is designed to consume up to 50 percent less energy for cooling than conventional data centers.

This Grainger data center’s air cooling design is anticipated to have a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.2 at full capacity compared to the industry average of 2.0.

The data center also achieved the latest “Version 4” LEED BD+C certification. Throughout the project, CH2M HILL worked closely with Grainger and the US Green Building Council to refine the new Version 4 standards, which are intended to bring sustainable design to a broader range of buildings.