Canadian data center provider BLACKIRON, a subsidiary of PTGi (Primus Telecommunications Group), has partnered with Emerson Network Power, installing its Liebert cooling solution at its Toronto DC3 site.

BLACKIRON Data's Toronto DC3 facility uses multiple 40-ton Liebert DSE cooling systems to regulate cooling in the 50,000-square-foot data center, with power density at 15kW per rack.

Each system features variable speed fans, staged evaporator coils, tandem Copeland Scroll Digital compressors and innovative pumped refrigerant economizers to ensure highly efficient and effective cooling, no matter the season.

BLACKIRON said DC3 is Toronto’s first Tier IIII design and construction certified data center facility.

BLACKIRON Data VP of data centers and operations Ron Ethier said the facility, as well as focussing on certification, is also keen to make improvements for efficiency.

“We had three objectives in building our newest data center in Toronto - make it environmentally friendly, attain third-party certifications and guarantee 100% availability for our customers," Ethier said.

“The Liebert DSE allows us to meet all three of our objectives. The system leverages Toronto's cool temperatures for optimum efficiency and energy use without sacrificing performance or disrupting our availability guarantee for customers.

“Utilizing this new precision cooling technology was one of the key elements to the Toronto data center successfully achieving Uptime Institute and LEED certifications."

With the environment in mind, an important element of the design and build of Toronto DC3 was to avoid the waste water often associated with water-cooled chillers.

BLACKIRON said it insisted on using cooling technology that did not use water, a configuration that benefits both the environment and customers.

It said as a result, it has been able to save up to 100 million litres of water waste a year, as traditionally associated with operating a data centre of similar size.

Liebert Econophase, a pumped refrigerant economizer, leverages cold outside air to cool the refrigerant used in the Liebert DSE system, reducing or eliminating compressor operation.

Emerson said this system provides cooling within the data center, allowing BLACKIRON to cool a large space without chiller plants and chilled water.

With Toronto's cool temperatures, this translates into free cooling more than 75% of the year, allowing BLACKIRON to significantly lower power usage and energy expenses.

During the summer, the Liebert DSE utilizes the most efficient variable capacity compressors for operation.