Citigroup has opened a new environmentally friendly, $450 million data center outside Austin, TX where it will employ pollution controls and water conservation techniques as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-certified facility.
The 305,000-square foot center in Georgetown will include operations that alert staff if mechanical or electrical systems are running at reduced efficiency. The plant will have pollution controls that will remove 90 percent of nitrogen oxides from generator exhaust, and irrigation systems that will reduce water use by 50 percent, according to Citi. The LEED certification is administered by the U.S. Green Buildings Council.
It’s part of Citi’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at its facilities worldwide by 10 percent by 2011. Citi has plans to open a $232 million data center in Frankfurt, Germany that will reduce energy use by 75 percent, and has previously announced it would fund $50 billion in total climate-related projects over 10 years.
"Ensuring that our facilities are as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible benefits not only Citi, but also our customers and the community at large," says Marty Lippert, Citi’s chief technology and operations officer.
