Overview

PRN3 is the third data center building on a confidential data center campus in the high desert region of central Oregon. Spanning approximately 494,000 square feet, the 32 MW facility features a data hall and associated air handler penthouse, office space, and cooling water plant.

Our Approach

To efficiently cool the data center, our team utilized a built-up air handling system with 100 percent outside air economization capability. When outside air temperatures are not cool enough, the design features direct evaporative media to provide additional energy efficient cooling for the data hall. To eliminate the growth of harmful bacteria, water stored and circulated in the direct evaporative systems are continuously filtered and passed through an ultraviolet light filter.

The facility's core network area design includes an indirect evaporative cooling system with 100 percent recirculating air handlers to help control air quality for the most critical spaces.

The indirect evaporative system consists of traditional cooling towers, plate and frame heat exchangers, and closed loop water distribution piping.

To add to the facility efficient processes, all IT and electrical support systems are cooled without the use of refrigerants and the administration building system recovers heat from the data center during the winter months. Additionally, all mechanical systems supporting IT equipment were designed to be concurrently maintainable to minimize impact to the data center's operations.

Our plumbing designs feature large water storage tanks to ensure the facility could operate for 48 hours without fresh water being available from the city's system.

Throughout the data center, all water usage, both make-up and discharge rates, are measured and tracked to ensure all systems are operating as efficiently as possible.

Result

Having performed work previously on PRN2 and PRN4, the completion of the PRN3 is the continuation of a successful collaboration with the owner, meet all of their unique requirements.