Location is everything when it comes to data center site selection. But finding the best-suited location requires careful planning, along with assistance from an experienced data center real estate team.
Internap partnered with Cushman & Wakefield to select the location of our Secaucus, NJ data center. While proximity to fiber and transit are clearly a fundamental requirement for data center facilities, let’s take a look at some other factors to consider for data center site selection.
Data center power supply
Power supply can make or break your data center site selection. The location of Internap’s Secaucus, NJ facility had an existing 3MW of power to the building, with an additional 20-25MW available from another connected substation. This second power supply allows Internap to meet customer demands for increased power density and capacity in the future. In some cases, additional substations and power lines must be built to generate enough power for the facility. To accomplish this, the data center real estate team must have a close working relationship with local government and utility providers.
Community buy-in
Making sure local owners will be receptive to a data center facility in their market is extremely important. Even if your chosen site meets all other criteria on your checklist, lack of support from the community can derail the project completely. Last year, a large data center project in Delaware was cancelled as a result of resident opposition to the proposed power plant that would support the new facility. Currently, Amazon plans to build a new substation and transmission line in Virginia, but local politicians, business owners and residents are opposed to the plan.
Weather resistance
While mother nature is unpredictable, selecting a location that is better prepared for natural disasters is important. Internap’s Secaucus facility in northern New Jersey is located outside the 500-year flood plain, which is the highest elevation possible for a property in that area. This is especially attractive to colocation buyers seeking highly resilient and reliable facilities. Another example is Internap’s Houston data center, which is built to withstand extreme weather events and is a 200 mph wind-rated building.
