New Novva Tahoe Reno data center will feature robotic dog security, 6 large data halls
Utah-based Novva Data Centers, which specializes in building colocation data centers, will construct its newest facility at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center.
Jason Hidalgo
Reno Gazette Journal - Published May 9, 2023
A Utah-based company is building a large data center just east of Reno-Sparks with several sustainable design features and even robotic dogs.
Data centers are known for consuming massive amounts of energy, leading to concerns about their environmental impact. Water use is also another issue, particularly in Nevada’s high desert.
For its Storey County facility, Novva Data Centers is implementing several measures to help reduce its environmental impact.
To reduce energy usage, Novva Tahoe Reno will use radiant heating and cooling, as well as a process known as direct-to-chip cooling, which directly cools a chip’s silicon surface.
Novva Data Centers announced on Monday that it will build its newest facility on a 20-acre site at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center in Storey County. The facility, named Novva Tahoe Reno, is expected to be completed in 2024 and have 40 to 50 employees. Novva also has data center sites in Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs and Las Vegas.
Novva Tahoe Reno is the latest addition to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, which gained recognition after landing Tesla’s first Gigafactory in 2014. Today, the industrial park’s tenants include big tech names such as Google and Switch, whose campus there is one of the largest data centers in the world.
“Storey County is a growing tech hub centrally located to major Western cities with access to renewable energy alternatives and attractive sales and use tax abatement programs, making it an ideal location to continue our expansion in the Western U.S,” said Wes Swenson, founder and CEO of Novva Data Centers, in a statement.
Novva specializes in building colocation data centers, which provide data center space for several tenants.
The 300,000-square-foot Novva Tahoe Reno facility will feature six 10-megawatt data halls, each with 30,000 feet of space and a wide open design that maximizes the available area for tenants. Amenities include offices, meeting rooms, break rooms and shower facilities.
One of the more interesting aspects of the facility is its security measures. In addition to perimeter gates with 24-hour monitoring, Novva Tahoe Reno will use autonomous aerial drones as well as robotic dog monitoring.
In 2021, Nova announced a partnership with Brigham Young University for the Wes’ Industrious Robot Employee or WIRE robotic dog. The robotic dog can confirm occupants through facial scanning and recognition and monitor temperatures for proper data storage.
The dog can also be programmed by staff to carry out various tasks and missions. It can even audibly greet guests to the facility.
“At Novva, our goal is to be the most future-focused new data center campus in the world,” Swenson said in 2021 when the partnership with BYU was announced. “WIRE exemplifies innovation and the future while addressing crucial data center needs and providing a one-of-a-kind experience for patrons.”
Data centers are known for consuming massive amounts of energy, leading to concerns about their environmental impact. Water use is also another issue, particularly in Nevada’s high desert.
For its Storey County facility, Novva Data Centers is implementing several measures to help reduce its environmental impact.
To reduce energy usage, Novva Tahoe Reno will use radiant heating and cooling, as well as a process known as direct-to-chip cooling, which directly cools a chip’s silicon surface.
Novva will use drought resistant landscaping and employ proprietary technologies such as using a synthetic material known as polypropylene instead of water for cooling.
Local officials praised Novva’s focus on sustainability.
“Novva's sustainability-first mindset fits well with ongoing environmental initiatives spearheaded by the county,” said Lara Mather, Storey County’s business development officer.
“Data center facilities like Novva's make the area even more attractive to prospective business residents,” Mather said.
Link: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/money/business/2023/05/09/new-novva-tahoe-reno-data-center-to-have-robotic-dog-security/70196942007/
