IBM unveiled a new data center on its campus in the Research Triangle Park near Raleigh, N.C., Thursday. While the company adds between three and five data centers to its global infrastructure (currently more than 450 data centers total) every year, this facility stands out from the rest.

IBM says the new data center employs some of the most advanced technologies and energy efficiency methods and solutions currently available to it.

"As we design data centers and we continue to mature our level of technology and sophistication, this announcement is something of a new plateau for us," said IBM's VP of Global Infrastructure and Resource Manager Joe Dzaluk.

"It's the combination of everything we've done here. It's utilizing some products that are not yet commercially available from IBM Research.... When you add it all up, we think it'll make IBM more competitive in the market place."

Among energy-saving features of the facility - currently going through the LEED evaluation process - are airside economization and continuous monitoring of temperature and humidity with real-time adjustment of cooling capacity according to the monitoring data. The building has a reflective roof to reduce the amount of solar heat it attracts and rainwater is collected for reuse, although not for reuse in the cooling system.

About 95 percent of the original building shell was reused and 92 percent of construction waste was recycled, with 20 percent of new materials made from recycled products.

Net data center floor currently online measures 60,000 square feet, with a total of 6 MW of power. At full build-out, the facility will yield 100,000 square feet of raised floor, powered by 15 MW. Average power density in the currently active space is about 100 watts per square foot.

The data center will be used to provide IT services to IBM's outsourcing clients and private cloud services. Customers already using the cloud platform include the Hillside New Tech High School in Durham, N.C., IBM's own Web site ibm.com and the United States Golf Association. Additionally, the company has recently secured six new outsourcing clients.

This is a second IBM data center in the Research Triangle Park. The company operates another 100,000-plus square foot facility on its campus there. IBM expects to invest a total of $362 million in the new facility.