A datacenter built by IBM Switzerland for GIB-Solutions AG, announced in 2008 and completed in 2009, incorporates a number of innovative features.

• It is relatively small (175 m2 IT space), demonstrating that Green ICT innovation is not limited to large facilities
• It repurposes a Swiss military bunker, rather than incurring the carbon footprint of new construction
• It has a heat recovery system that warms the municipal swimming pool 58m away

The heat recovery system is generating more output than is needed by the pool, so GIB-Solutions is looking for additional heat customers. Excess heat is removed with outside-air cooling. The system is projected to have an 8-10 year ROI.

The proximity of the data center to the pool is important. Heat reuse appears most practical when the users are a short distance away. Data centers on educational/business/government campuses are the obvious candidates for heat recovery.

More unique repurposing of military facilities into green data centers.

(Thank you to Sebastian Drews [@IBMCH] of IBM Switzerland for sharing information about the GIB-Solutions datacenter.)