Switch’s Supernap 8 data center in Las Vegas has become the first carrier neutral colocation facility in the world to achieve Tier IV (GOLD) certification for operations.

The certification was formalized by The Uptime Institute in August 2014.

Supernap 8 was built according to Switch’s own SwitchMOD data center designs.

Each module has two 10MVA power rooms and two separate 800 cabinet sectors.

Switch is currently building two more data center facilities, Supernap’s 9 and 10, each of which are to be supplied with 130MVA of power and 8,000 cabinets of space.

According to Switch’s EVP of colocation Missy Young, 22% of the new unbuilt facilities have already been sold.

Supernap 8 was also certified as a Tier IV Facility and a Tier IV Design by the Uptime Institute.

Switch’s founder and CEO Rob Roy, has filed a number of patents that support the certifications.

These include the Switch T-SCIF (a new type of heat containment system), Switch Rotofly (the uninterruptible multi-system for heating ventilation and air conditioning units) and the Switch Shield (a ‘forever-maintainable’, redundant 200 mph steel roof system).

All these inventions have been installed in the Supernap 8 facility.

Supernap now has 218 patented and patent pending claims on data center systems, designs and related industry technologies.

Switch’s achievement of Tier IV Gold certification, through its modular design and construction techniques, is a reflection of its development team’s sophistication, according to Lee Kirby, CTO, Uptime Institute.

“This Certification uniquely expresses harmony of technology, staff, and operational processes, which is key to sustained availability for Switch’s clients,” Kirby said.

Switch’s Supernap 8, Mod1 is one of only four data centers around the world and the first in the US colocation market to meet the required standard of fault tolerance through its design, construction, commissioning and operations, according to Uptime’s CTO.

One ex-rival and data center veteran paid tribute to Roy’s invention and professionalism.

“I have seen countless data centers around the globe, and nothing comes close to the Switch Supernap data centers,” said Peter Gross of Bloom Energy, who was founder of rival operator EYP Mission Critical Facilities, which he sold to HP.

“Rob Roy has revolutionized modern data center design and created a technology ecosystem that is unmatched in the industry.  This achievement of Tier IV Gold from Uptime is incredibly well-deserved and thoroughly earned”.