Vantage Data Centers, a Denver, CO-based global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, and a DigitalBridge Group (NYSE: DBRG) portfolio company, completed the topping out of its first 16 megawatt (MW) data center in Goodyear, AZ, just outside of Phoenix, one of the top five data center markets in the U.S. (Topping out refers to placing the last beam of steel atop a new structure and usually prompts a small celebration by the construction crew.)
The Goodyear site will be the company’s largest North American campus when fully developed at 160 MW and second largest globally, after its 270 MW Cardiff campus in the U.K. The first phase of development comprises a two-story facility offering 16 MW of critical IT capacity and is scheduled to be operational in the spring of 2022.
“As we continue to expand globally, Vantage is also increasing our footprint across North America to meet our customers’ growing needs, providing high-quality data centers in strategic markets,” said Jeff Tench, president, North America, Vantage Data Centers. “Our customers have identified Phoenix as an ideal location due to its low power costs, rich connectivity and business-friendly environment. This is a fitting market for hyperscalers, cloud providers and larger enterprises who need a west coast presence for their digital infrastructure requirements.”
Located on 50 acres within Goodyear’s Bullard Tech Corridor, this growing campus will include three data centers and more than 1 million square feet once fully developed. This location will provide Vantage’s hyperscale, cloud and large enterprise customers with a viable alternative to the space-constrained and more costly Silicon Valley market.
The campus will employ a closed-loop chilled water system with air-side economizers that allow for reduced energy use based on outside ambient temperature. (An economizer is an add-on feature to an HVAC air handler that draws in outdoor air and mixes it with return air from indoors. Economizers cool buildings using outdoor air at night, achieving cooling at no additional energy cost).
The system uses no ongoing water, a critical feature in the southwest region, making the planned water usage efficiency near zero, and part of Vantage’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions across every campus by 2030.
“We are excited Vantage chose Goodyear for its flagship location in the southwest region. The company’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by design decisions which virtually eliminate water for cooling,” said Goodyear Vice Mayor Brannon Hampton. “The city of Goodyear has established itself as a dynamic locality by attracting top technology companies and knowledge-based jobs.”
Vantage continues growing its footprint worldwide. This North American milestone follows Vantage’s two recent global expansions in both Asia Pacific and South Africa, as Inside Towers reported.
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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