The facility, PHX-05, will be Aligned's fourth data centre at the campus. However, sustainability aside, many of the finer details are yet to be confirmed. What Aligned has said it that the data centre will be "waterless", thanks to the company's proprietary cooling technology.
“Phoenix is one of the largest and most dynamic data center markets in the US, and has become a much sought-after destination for hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and large enterprises looking to deploy their digital infrastructure in proximity to the West Coast,” states Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned.
The Arizona department of Water Resources monitors the state's drought conditions and in the last 22 years has only recorded one year without drought. Seven of these years saw "exceptional drought" conditions.
Despite this, the state of Arizona offers an array of tax incentives, with a specific Data Center Tax Exemption development and investment. This is available to all data centres regardless of their green credentials for 10 years. Sustainable facilities are able to benefit for 20 years.
Arizona Commerce Authority explains the scheme as follows: "An owner, operator or qualified co-location tenant of a [data centre] may receive the exemptions provided by the incentive for up to ten full calendar years following the year certification of the [data centre] is issued. However, if the [data centre] qualifies as a Sustainable Redevelopment Project, the exemptions are available for up to 20 full calendar years following the year certification of the CDC is issued."
Aligned's press announcement stated the campus will "benefit from Arizona’s attractive sales tax incentives, reliable power grid and ample access to renewable energy resources". The local energy supply is reported to be "50% carbon-free".
Doing its part, Aligned said it would combine its Delta³™ cooling technology with a "state-of-the-art waterless heat rejection system" to create a waterless data centre – its design standard.
The Delta³ cooling systems also allow customers to grow as required, incrementally scaling in place up to 50kW per rack without stranding capacity which, Aligned said, also enhances sustainability.
Schaap added: “Aligned’s latest hyperscale data centre not only answers the call of massive campus scalability as well as water conservation in a water-strained region, but also highlights our team’s continuous ability to rapidly deliver facilities in the highly strategic and sought-after locations our customers demand.”
The news breaks only days after DE-CIX confirmed it too is now live in Phoenix, following the opening of its fifth US internet exchange.
