Infomart Data Centers has announced that its Portland data center has achieved LEED Platinum® certification, the highest rating offered by the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC). Infomart Portland is the first data center in Oregon and among a select few in the nation to become LEED Platinum certified by the USGBC's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™) rating system, the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of high-performance green buildings.

"Achieving the highest LEED distinction reinforces Infomart's leadership in building and operating sustainable data centers, including one of the most efficient facilities in the world in Infomart Portland," says John Sheputis, president, Infomart Data Centers. "Every facility we have built since 2008 has been LEED Gold certified. Achieving LEED Platinum certification in Oregon demonstrates our increasing commitment to sustainability and making responsible choices about energy procurement — even when the cost is more than the higher-carbon alternative. We're proud to continue meeting our customers' environmental and IT performance goals through choice, openness, data transparency and collaboration."

LinkedIn is the principal tenant for the latest phase of construction that received the LEED Platinum certification. LinkedIn staff worked with Infomart and the company's contractors, including DPR Construction, McKinstry, Rosendin Electric, and Jackson Main as the project architect, to deliver the award-winning project.

Infomart Portland achieved LEED Platinum certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The facility uses Direct Access rights to source power from the leading producer of hydro-electric power in the U.S., the Bonneville Power Administration. As a Direct Access purchaser of power, Infomart chooses the energy mix and suppliers for the data center, achieving a 96% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when compared to the national utility average and providing customers with low-carbon power at rates below the local utility tariffs.

"Achieving LEED certification is more than implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. "Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role of the building industry in that effort, Infomart Data Centers demonstrates their environmentally conscious leadership through their LEED certification of Infomart Portland."

Infomart Portland is one of the most efficient data centers in the United States, boasting a 99% efficient uninterrupted power supply (UPS), a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.16 in full economization mode, 100% aisle containment, and natural cooling methods to run the facility at least 70% of the year. Infomart Portland was also the first data center environment in which the user and landlord collaborated to achieve Uptime Institute's Efficient IT Certification, which certifies sustainable leadership in IT operation, evidencing better control of how resources are both consumed and allocated. Additionally, the facility holds the Uptime Institute Management & Operations (M&O) "Stamp of Approval," which verifies that Infomart's critical facilities management continues to be among the best in the world.