The Houston Skybox One Data Center has been awarded LEED® Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 96,129-square-foot purpose-built facility is the only data center in Houston and one of a handful in Texas to receive this prestigious designation.
“Achieving LEED Gold status is very rare for data centers but it was mission critical for us,” said Rob Morris, managing partner of Skybox Datacenters. “It lets people know that we are a leader in this market and that our focus is razor sharp on innovation, sustainability, and reliability.”
Highlights of the building’s green features include:
- Multiple Solar arrays supplying power to the facility.
- Electricity options available to clients that provide 100% renewable energy.
- An industry leading PUE rating, highlighting design efficiency for the Houston climate.
- Evaporcool system, further improving mechanical efficiency.
- Three times the rain water detention required by code.
- Columnless data halls and overhead power options improving air flow efficiency throughout the mission critical space.
- High power density containment options.
“Market transformation happens one building at a time,” said Gretchen Sweeney, Vice President, LEED implementation, USGBC. “Skybox Datacenters understands the value of LEED and has exemplified extraordinary leadership in reshaping their sector. The success of LEED is due to the partnership and support of those committed to advancing green building and sustainability. Each new LEED certification is one step closer to revolutionizing the environment in which live, work, and play.”
Skybox Houston One’s 20-acre campus is located in the fast-growing Energy Corridor of Houston, TX. The current facility provides four private data halls and 54 MW of power. It is designed to cater to enterprise users in the region who require 100% uptime, high-performance and ultra-low latency computing needs. The facility was built with a six-inch thick concrete roof deck that can sustain hurricane-force winds up to 190+ MPH and generators with 7,000- gallon belly tanks providing clients with 96 hours of run time.
