Lighting Retrofit Helps Green Data Center Goals
Facility Executive, October 17, 2017
Fairbanks Energy Services, a full-service design/build energy conservation firm and developer of comprehensive commercial and industrial efficiency projects, recently announced a milestone for one of its customers, vXchnge. A carrier-neutral colocation provider, vXchnge announced that a 2016 lighting retrofit at its edge data center facility in Chappaqua, NY has reduced that facility’s power usage significantly in the year following the retrofit.
To achieve this reduction, Fairbanks Energy Services replaced 147 2’x4′ recessed troffers with 2’x4′ LED kits equipped with integrated occupancy and daylight sensors at the 38,000 square foot data center. The integrated sensors increased energy savings from the retrofit by more than 20%, allowing fixtures to be grouped together and dimmed down to IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) recommended light levels.Completed in July 2016, the lighting retrofit lowered the data center’s electrical consumption by 244,000 kWh, or the equivalent electricity needed to power 19 U.S. households for one year. vXchnge’s Chappaqua data center is one of company’s many data centers that meet required energy efficient standards as “green data centers,” as certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Fairbanks Energy services was instrumental in helping us improve the efficiency of our Chappaqua data center and create optimal operating conditions for our customers,” said Ross Warrington, regional vice president of operations at vXchnge. “vXchnge is consistently recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Top 30 technology and telecom company using green power, and we continue to invest in efficiency measures that reduce our carbon footprint while ensuring that the mission critical demands of our clients are met.”
“This comprehensive lighting and controls upgrade has resulted in tremendous validated reductions in energy usage and cost that vXchnge and their customers will enjoy for years to come,” said Ross Fairbanks, COO, Fairbanks Energy Services. “We are always delighted to see the benchmarks in an efficiency project achieved. Since completing the retrofit at the Chappaqua data center 12 months ago, the savings have been impressive and a testament to the impact that modern lighting solutions can have on a company’s bottom line.”