CHICAGO — Aligned Data Centers was awarded the ranking of Three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative for its hyperscale data center in Chicagoland in recognition of outstanding achievements in sustainable design and construction. Aligned’s ORD-01 hyperscale facility is the first newly constructed data center in Illinois to earn Green Globes certification and one of only six certified data centers in the world to receive a ranking of Three Green Globes.
“Aligned’s recent Green Globes certification is a testament to the GBI’s validation of our team’s exceptional sustainability efforts and accomplishments across data center design, construction management, supply chain, and operations,” said Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned. “As environmental stewards at the vanguard of the industry, Aligned is committed to powering our data center portfolio with renewable and clean energy — and collaborating with our customers to achieve shared carbon-reduction and water conservation goals is a critical aspect of every engagement.”
Aligned’s Three Green Globes certification recognizes the company’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, resource efficiency, current and future building operations best practices, and occupant health and wellness. The Green Globes for New Construction certification recognizes sustainability during the design and delivery process. Administered by the GBI, Green Globes is a nationally recognized green rating assessment and certification system that ensures projects meet clearly defined criteria in seven assessment areas, including project management, site, energy, water, resources, emissions, and indoor environment. Additionally, the Green Globes certification process includes an on-site assessment with a third-party assessor to verify implementation.
Aligned’s 18.5-acre Chicagoland hyperscale data center campus will offer two multi-story facilities and 84 MW of capacity. First-phase completion of Aligned ORD-01, a 220,000 square-foot, 48-MW data center launched simultaneously with the groundbreaking of a second, adjacent facility, ORD-02, this past spring. Once complete, ORD-02 will also undergo the GBI’s rigorous assessment in order to obtain campus-wide Green Globes accreditation.
In its Three Green Globes ranking, GBI also highlighted access to 100%, off-site, renewable energy and water consumption reduction at the campus. Aligned’s Chicagoland data center combines its patented and award-winning Delta3 cooling technology with a waterless heat rejection system. Along with water conservation, waterless cooling technology offers a near-complete elimination of water treatment chemicals, preventing the risk of exposing operations personnel to potentially dangerous biocides and anti-corrosion coatings.
