InfoBunker

The lure of underground data centers

Subterranean facilities provide security and energy savings — and they’re cool, too.

By Drew Robb - Tech Page One Aug 26 2014


Every evil genius deserves his own subterranean bunker with a supercomputer to plot world domination. The economy being the way it is these days, however, most can’t afford to build their own lair. Fortunately, there are plenty of underground facilities that you can share with other businesses and organizations. There is a coolness about these locations, and not just because the ground temperature is in the 50s year round.
“There is a certain James Bond allure to the underground data center,” said John Clune, president of Cavern Technologies. “Many of our customers utilize the location in their marketing to show how seriously they take data storage and protection.”

One of TelecityGroup’s five data centers in Helsinki, Finland, is housed under the Uspenski Cathedral. Credit: Shutterstock

Here are four companies in the U.S. and Europe that are running underground data centers.

Unorthodox location

London-based TelecityGroup operates five data centers in Helsinki, Finland. One of them is located in a former bomb shelter 100 feet below the 150-year-old Eastern Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral. By using sea water and a heat exchanger, it uses 80 percent less energy for cooling than a typical data center. But not all the heat is sent to the sea. The water first circulates to a heat exchanger serving the city’s district heating system, with the servers providing enough heat for 500 homes. The data center won an Uptime Institute Green Enterprise IT award in 2010.

Data mining

 

Cavern Technologies built a 50-megawatt, 300,000-plus square-foot data center in a former limestone mine near Lenexa, Kansas. Being 125 feet underground means that the site is secure from the tornados, ice storms and hail that can hit above-ground data centers in the region.
“From day one, we have a hardened F5 tornado-proof [261 to 318 miles per hour] structure,” said Clune. “Above ground, it costs up to $150 per square-foot for a hardened shell. On a 100,000-square-foot building, that is a cost savings of $15 million that we can pass on to our customers.”

Secure storage

 The Green Mountain Data Center is a Tier III+ facility located in a former NATO ammunition storage facility on an island in western Norway. Three-hundred-foot-long tunnels connect the data center rooms to the outside world. Although the site is physically remote, high-speed connections mean it is only 4.5 milliseconds from Aberdeen, Scotland and 6.5 milliseconds from London.

One of the main advantages of the site is its energy efficiency. Located on the shoreline, it draws 46- degrees -Fahrenheit water from a fjord, an arrangement that allows a 200-kilowatt pump to produce 26,000 kilowatts of cooling. The system is designed for high-density computing, up to 60 kilowatts per rack. Since it is deep underground, the cooling system never has to offset heating caused by the sun striking the walls and roof. In addition, Norway has abundant hydropower, so the data center operates without greenhouse gas emissions and the power costs about 40 percent less than it does in London.
“We wanted to build the greenest data center in the world and being underground helped in so many ways,” said Jonathan Evans, Green Mountain’s international accounts director.

Cold War bunker

When InfoBunker went looking for an ultra-secure location for a high-availability data center, it wound up taking over a building that was already designed for high-tech applications: a former military communications center near Des Moines, Iowa, that was built to survive a direct nuclear hit.
“From a functionality standpoint the building is performing exactly the same services it did while under military control, only now geared towards the private sector,” said Jeff Daniels, InfoBunker’s executive vice president. “From a cost perspective it was also far less expensive than a greenfield data center project as we could make use of almost all the existing base infrastructure and our [capital expenditure] was limited to upgrading/modernizing systems and building the actual data floor into what was essentially white-box space.”
Although at just 25 feet deep it is much closer to the surface than some of the other underground data centers, the amount of steel and concrete used gives it strength. Daniels said that to replace the building today, with all its hardening and critical systems would have cost over $100 million. But it did also require additional work to drill holes for pipes and conduits.
“The floor is two foot thickness of 6,000 PSI-rated concrete and has steel reinforcing bars the size of your wrist all through it,” said Daniels. “It eats core drill bits like popcorn.”
The facility is designed for 10 kilowatts per rack and uses outside air-cooling nine months of the year, using the heated air to warm the offices. The building stays at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round and can act as a buffer to absorb some of the heat if the HVAC goes down. Waste heat from the servers is used to keep the office spaces comfortable.

Zombie apocalypse

Data centers such as these are even being touted as a place where people could potentially survive a “zombie apocalypse.”
“Despite advertising ourselves as a 20-megaton nuclear-hardened data center we do not anticipate ever being nuked,” said Daniels. “InfoBunker was however nominated one of the top six ‘zombie-proof’ green data centers worldwide.”

Cavern Technologies builds area’s largest data center underground

Pete Clune, CEO of Cavern Technologies, is pictured in one of the data suites in its underground data center at Meritex Lenexa Executive Park.

Cavern Technologies, located in the underground portion of Meritex Lenexa Executive Park, has begun a $10 million, 100,000-square-foot expansion that will make it the largest data center in the Kansas City region.
The company, which has developed 60,000 square feet of underground space since its founding in 2007, will leapfrog ahead of 1102 Grand LLC in Kansas City, now the region’s largest data center with 110,000 square feet.
Pete Clune, founder and CEO of Cavern Technologies, said several factors were driving the company’s growth.
One is the fact that the data-storage needs of Corporate America are roughly doubling every year and a half, Clune said. Cavern Technologies’ more than 90 existing tenants are expanding their data-storage capacity by 30 percent annually, he said.
Another growth driver is the cost and reliability of electric power provided by Kansas City Power & Light, Clune said. KCP&L charges 8 cents per kilowatt hour, about half of what utilities on the coasts charge.
Cavern Technologies charges its tenants based on power consumed rather than square footage occupied. But as part of its unique data center colocation model, Clune said, it developed the concept of data suites, which allow clients to house servers in dedicated spaces rather than on racks in a huge shared space.
Tenants also like the advantages of having their data center space underground, Clune said. Being “a data center without walls,” he said, Cavern Technologies gives tenants the flexibility of moving and expanding their space quicky. It also protects data from natural disasters and offers a 65-degree ambient temperature that helps tenants minimize cooling costs. A remote energy monitoring system and suite-design recommendations from Cavern Technologies’ staff also keep power costs down, said Scott Herron, the company’s vice president of data center operations.
In addition to providing access to multiple KCP&L substations, Cavern offers high-capacity bandwidth from multiple carriers. The data infrastructure is so robust, Clune related, that a London-based company with space in the center reported that it could send data from London to Lenexa to Scotland faster than it can send it directly to Scotland.
“With Cavern’s focus on the infrastructure piece, including the space, power, cooling, security and bandwidth, our client’s IT department can focus on their unique mission-critical business operations,” Clune said.
The model has attracted some of the nation’s leading health care, financial services, legal and tech companies, said Clune, whose son John is president of the company.
They have guided the underground business to full occupancy in its present 60,000-square-foot-space. In addition, the company has secured commitments for 25 percent of the 100,000 square feet now being built out.
The company will finish the year with nearly $6 million in revenue, Pete Clune said, and will be posting $15 million to $20 million by the time the additional 100,000 square feet is fully occupied.
JE Dunn Construction is the contractor for the expansion. Bell/Knott & Associates is providing the data center design, and Gibbens Drake Scott Inc. is the engineering firm.
Bill Seymour, a senior vice president with Meritex Enterprises, which owns the underground park, said he began working with Pete Clune 10 years ago, when he operated a managed services firm at Meritex.
“I never imagined the type of scale Cavern has now achieved,” Seymour said. “Pete and John have proven the concept, done what they said they would do and give the customers what they want.”

The Pros and Cons of Underground Data Centers Tips from Data Bunker Veterans

One of the data halls at Cavern Technologies in Kansas, which offers few clues that the facility is 75 feet below ground. (Photo: Cavern Technologies)

The Pros and Cons of Underground Data Centers

October 9th, 2013 By: Rich Miller

The entrance to the Cavern Technologies data center in Lenexa, Kansas, which houses its customer servers more than 75 feet underground. The company is among a growing number of data bunkers storing data for high-security clients. (Photo: Cavern Technologies)

ORLANDO, Fla. - The data bunker industry is growing, as more customers seek out ultra-secure underground hosting for their IT operations. Operators of subterranean server farms say these environments are similar to above-ground facilities, but they often must address misperceptions about underground sites, many of which are housed in former limestone mines.
The emergence of underground data centers was the focus of a session at last week’s Data Center World Fall conference, in which several experts discussed the advantages and challenges of underground data centers, and offered tips to consider when evaluating a data bunker.

“The underground data center space is experiencing rapid growth due to the efficiency and speed to market it offers,” said John Clune, the president of Cavern Technologies, which operates a data center in a limestone mine in Lenexa, Kansas. “One of the bigger challenges has been the perception of underground data centers. People are imagining a tight cubbyhole with a guy with a light on his helmet. The reality is that we’ve got 18 foot ceilings.”
Cavern Technologies is among a cluster of underground facilities in the Midwest, which also includes SubTropolis,  The Mountain Complex and SpringNet Underground in Missouri; and the InfoBunker and U.S. Secure Hosting in Iowa.

Tips from Data Bunker Veterans

Not all underground data centers are created equal, and potential customers need to shop carefully and be mindful of the differences between traditional and underground facilities, according to architect Kerry Knott of Bell/Knott & Associates. Knott has worked on a number of underground business parks and data centers in Kansas and Missouri, and offers some insights into evaluating a data bunker.
“Data center buildouts are a good use for these kind of facilities,” said Knott. “Once the data center is built, if you take someone in there blindfolded, they’d never know they were underground. You’ve got the same equipment; it’s just been an underground facility.”
But there are some differences. Here are some pros and cons to consider with facilities built in limestone mines:

Speed to Market: Clune says Cavern was recently able to deploy 5,000 square feet of data center space for a client in just 60 days. “The speed to market is impressive in the underground,” said Clune. One factor is that there’s no need to build or adapt a shell, as the underground space has already been created and all that is needed is the framing and buildout of the data halls. Another benefit is permitting from local officials. “In every underground I’ve worked with, we have had a blanket permit” once the initial underground space is created,  said Knott. “It’s one of the advantages of underground structures. That could be an 8 to 10 week savings.” Another benefit is that construction can continue year-round, with no weather delays.

Construction Costs: Underground data centers can also be cheaper, Knott said, since there’s no expense to construct a concrete shell. Subterranean structures also offer potential savings on disaster-proofing, especially in the Midwest. “To build a tornado-proof building above ground can cost an extra $100 a square foot,” said Knott, who added that customers often inquire about other types of disasters. “People are concerned about collapse, and they’re worried about earthquakes,” he said. “An underground space, unlike the building above ground, doesn’t move and doesn’t need to be reinforced. An earthquake doesn’t affect the enclosure at all, but you do have to brace the improvements.”

Facility History and Origin: Recently-built underground facilities are usually appropriate, but those that were mined in the 1960s and earlier may not be. “To be an acceptable space for a data center, it has to have been mined for commercial development,” says Knott. “The limestone has to be preserved in the proper thickness and have structural integrity. The room size is also important, because the columnar support will be rock columns that may be 25 to 30 feet in diameter.”
The size and placement of these columns impacts the technical space. “Optimizing the layout within the property is essential,” said Knott. “It’s tough to get 90-degree corners with underground columns, so you have to be creative, since almost all your equipment is square. With the restrictions of the columns and placement of the corridor, you have to work with what you have. It can be awkward if these are haphazardly shaped.”

Cooling and Ventilation: Underground spaces are naturally cool, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way once you fill them with servers. “Heat rejection is the biggest concern and the biggest challenge,” said Knott. “Most underground spaces have their own fresh air and ventilation system, but that’s generally for comfort rather than the kind of heat we’re putting into the space with the data center. Your options are to drill (ventilation) holes up through the top or horizontally to the exterior.”

Placement of Mechanical Equipment: Some mechanical and electrical equipment requires ventilation and must be housed in an exterior yard. There are several options to address this, which customers must consider if their goal is disaster avoidance, as this equipment will be more exposed. “Generators and air-cooled chillers can be placed against an exterior wall or protected with an outside wall,” said Knott. “You can also build another underground chamber to house them.” Another issue to consider is fire suppression systems, and what happens with water in the event the system is ever discharged in part of the facility.

Staff Considerations: There won’t be any daylight in an underground data center, but that’s not different from many above-ground data centers, Knott says. A bigger concern for staff might be parking, as underground facilities can be large, and that sometimes means that parking areas are a significant distance from the data center.

John Clune, President of Cavern Technologies, a Midwestern underground data center, talks about the pros and cons of underground data centers. While the underground temperature is a consistent 68 degrees, the data center engineers do have to accommodate for waste heat from servers and other gear. (Photo by Colleen Miller.)

About Rich Miller

Rich Miller is the founder and editor-in-chief of Data Center Knowledge, and has been reporting on the data center sector since 2000. He has tracked the growing impact of high-density computing on the power and cooling of data centers, and the resulting push for improved energy efficiency in these facilities.

John Clune, President, Cavern Technologies Data Center

John Clune, President, Cavern Technologies Data Center, Will Speak On President/CEO Panel IMN’s Data Center Forum John Clune, President of Cavern Technologies--the Midwest’s premier underground data center-- will speak on the President/CEO Panel, at IMN’s upcoming Data Center Forum. The two-day event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, on November 8th and 9th.

John Will Speak On President/CEO Panel IMN's Data Center Forum John Clune, President of Cavern Technologies--the Midwest's premier underground data center-- will speak on the President/CEO Panel, at IMN's upcoming Data Center Forum. The two-day event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, on November 8th and 9th. October 31, 2010 John Clune, President of Cavern Technologies--the Midwest's premier underground data center-- will speak on the President/CEO Panel, at IMN's upcoming Data Center Forum. The two-day event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, on November 8th and 9th. The Forum on Financing, Investing and Real Estate Development for Data Centers features leading industry experts who will address the successes and challenges of the data center industry, including over 20 Presidents, CEOs and COOs of Data Center companies. Data Centers, the emerging asset class that investors need to seriously consider for their investment portfolio, has continued growing throughout the recession. With demand doubling every two years, many believe this is the one place where 20% returns are still possible. The major highlight of the conference are the 20 data center Presidents and CEOs who will be speaking at the conferencesays Steven Glener, Senior Vice President at Information Management Network, the forum host. They will be addressing the key financing, expansion, corporate strategy, capital markets, power and technology, from a C-Suite level -- a unique and critical perspective, exclusive to the IMN conference. Cavern Technologies specializes in the development, leasing and operation of build-to-suit wholesale data centers, located 125-feet underground in a 3 million square foot facility designed for energy efficiency, housed in an environmentally regulated, secure infrastructure. Cavern Technologies' world-class data center and collocation facility is SAS-70 certified and designed to meet the specialized power, cooling and security requirements companies need to house IT systems that support their mission-critical business processes. Cavern provides tenants with unique business solutions and a value proposition focused on minimizing the total cost of ownership of data center and collocation infrastructure.

Cavern Technologies

Underground Data Center Cavern Technologies completes SAS 70 Audit

Cavern Technologies, a leading underground developer, manager, and operator of mission critical data center space solutions, has completed the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA) Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS 70) examination for its data center in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. This extensive examination was conducted by Mayer Hoffman McCann, an Independent CPA Firm.vide your summary

Lenexa, KS (PRWEB) September 16, 2009 - Cavern Technologies, a leading underground developer, manager, and operator of mission critical data center space solutions, has completed the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA) Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS 70) examination for its data center in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. This extensive examination was conducted by Mayer Hoffman McCann, an Independent CPA Firm.

Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70, Service Organizations, is a widely recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). A service auditor's examination performed in accordance with SAS No. 70 ("SAS 70 Audit") is widely recognized, because it represents that a service organization has been through an in-depth audit of their control objectives and control activities, which often include controls over information technology and related processes. In today's global economy, service organizations or service providers must demonstrate that they have adequate controls and safeguards when they host or process data belonging to their customers. In addition, the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 make SAS 70 audit reports even more important to the process of reporting on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

Clients of Cavern may use our SAS 70 report as a substitute for performing first hand testing in conjunction with Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, or other compliance obligations.

"Our annual SAS 70 audit reassures our clients that our operational processes and controls meet high standards for the security and reliability." Cavern's President John Clune said in a statement. "Clients of Cavern may use our SAS 70 report as a substitute for performing first hand testing in conjunction with Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, or other compliance obligations."

About Cavern Technologies
Cavern Technologies (www.caverntechnologies.com) develops, leases, and operates data centers space solutions 125-feet underground in an environmentally regulated secure facility. Cavern's data centers are designed to meet the specialized power, cooling & security requirements that companies need to house computers that support their mission critical business processes. Cavern provides it tenants with a value proposition focused on minimizing the total cost of ownership of data center infrastructure.