Energy efficiency is a crucial competitive differentiator for data centers. When selecting colocation options, customers consider the TCO. By selecting to colocate with CoreSite, our customers gain access to market competitive, energy efficient designs. Efficient design and construction reduce waste, which in turn leads to lower build costs, giving CoreSite a competitive edge.

CoreSite’s phased build-out approach and modular equipment design standard ensures systems are optimally sized and staged to supposed the portion of the data center that is in operation, reducing losses and system inefficiencies.

Data Center Efficiency

Our primary source of energy consumption comes from the power demand of our customers’ IT equipment and the cooling systems we control. We identify and adopt best practices for our overall data center power design, which include building automation systems, air-side economization, water-side economizers, and hot/cold aisle containment. We continuously seek opportunities to upgrade our facilities to increase operational efficiency.

‍Examples in 2021 included:

• New chiller plant at BO1 for expansion and end of life (“EOL”) replacement
• Replace EOL UPS at CH1
• Refeed CR HVAC Electrical to eliminate single point of failure (“SPOF”) at CH1
  
• Eliminate single point of failure of generator switchgear at CH1
  
• Install redundant power path to generator fuel distribution system at NY1
  
• New Chiller plant at NY2
  
• Replace EOL Fire system riser at SV1
• Generator distribution SPOF remediation at VA1

Renewable and Alternative Energy

We recognize the crucial role renewable and alternative energy will play in balancing the immense energy needs of the data center industry, as well as our customers' interest in carbon-neutral data storage. In 2021, CoreSite completed a 1.2 megawatt expansion of fuel cells at our BO1 site, and CoreSite’s VA3 site is powered by 100% renewable energy. 

Renewable and Alternative Energy

Emissions

Water use

We primarily use water for cooling in our data centers.Therefore, to save energy related to cooling, we must occasionally increase water usage. We are continuously working to balance our energy and water usage and seek to reduce our use of potable water. As part of our commitment to minimizing our freshwater footprint, we utilize rainwater for cooling when possible. Our water use strategy reduces our freshwater consumption and increases our operational resilience.
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In 2021, we used 41,938,684 gallons of recycled water at our Coronado Stender Campus in Santa Clara, CA. Our water use strategy reduces our freshwater consumption and increases our operational resilience.

Waste and recycling

CoreSite continued its commitment to waste and recycling management in 2021. Along with our vendor partners, we continued to increase recycling, while installing equipment to streamline waste removal. The results not only increased recycling but also resulted in less trucks on the road due to reduced hauling, and significant savings despite increased fuel and service costs. In 2021, CoreSite recycled 50% of all waste by volume and 32% of all waste by weight while reducing hauls (truck traffic) and cost by 17.6%, despite an average national increase of 18%. Our waste management process was improved through initiatives such as installing new equipment such as compactors in Virginia, right sizing dumpsters in Los Angeles and Virginia, and replacing haulers in Chicago and Los Angeles.