ABB controllers drive zero-emissions data center in Iceland

ABB’s programmable logic controllers are helping to run what is believed to be the world’s first zero-emissions data center, a facility in Iceland that gets its electricity from hydropower and geothermal energy.

The Thor Data Center near the capital city of Reykjavik recently opened its first data storage container and expects a second to be delivered soon. Both use natural cooling technology to keep servers at optimum operating temperatures. The data center reports an extra-low power usage effectiveness (PUE) ratio of 1.07.

The modular natural free cooling system uses naturally cool outside air to maintain the right conditions inside the data storage containers. Critical parameters in each container are monitored and controlled by ABB’s AC500 programmable logic controllers (PLCs). An active PLC measures temperature, humidity, energy consumption and other factors on an ongoing basis, while a redundant PLC is on standby and ready to begin working within 20 milliseconds if the active PLC fails.