Recently, Internet giant Google decided to design and build a new data centre in the Irish capital of Dublin. As it turns out, Google is not alone. Dublin is quickly becoming one of the technology capitals of Europe thanks to a variety of different factors. One of those factors, at least according to Google, is Ireland's weather. Ireland is known throughout Europe as being a bit cooler and wetter than most other locations at similar latitudes. More than one Irishman has left his country for warmer and dryer climes, that's for sure. However, according to Google officer Dan Costello, the weather in Ireland is the ideal climate for the modern data centre. Ireland's climate is classified as temperate oceanic, meaning there is plenty of precipitation and not much in terms of temperature extremes. When it comes to power and cooling, this climate is very favourable to data centres because of their tendency to produce extreme amounts of heat. The high-heat production also results in higher energy bills to keep centres cool, so being able to design data centre infrastructure in a cooler and wetter climate allows companies like Google to be more energy-efficient and green. During the hottest summer months of July and August the temperature in Ireland rarely exceeds 20°C (68°F). When it does, it is usually not more than once or twice per decade. The island nation's higher than average rainfall also helps to keep temperatures down even during the warm summer months. According to Google, another attractive part of Ireland is its tax climate. Ireland boasts a comparatively low corporate tax as well as a very friendly business philosophy. The combination of both the weather and financial environment make Dublin the ideal place for new technology facilities. Along with Google's new data centre came a good number of data centre jobs employing local people with technology experience. A good base from which to draw employees was the third significant factor to cause Google to choose Dublin. Perhaps the company will be opening additional facilities in Ireland in the future.

Climate Important for Green Data Enters

While Google's choice of Dublin for the location of their new data centre doesn't directly impact the average user on a day-to-day basis, the criteria used to select the city will have a significant impact on data centre planning  in the future. Keep in mind we live in an era where environmental responsibility and “green building” are very real considerations for companies like Google. The price tag of Google's new data centre was roughly USD $75 million. Yet they are planning to recoup that cost very quickly thanks to infrastructure that uses 50% less energy than other modern centres. Google combined the advantageous Irish climate with smart power and cooling technologies to realise the savings. Since the IT world is a copycat industry, we should expect Ireland to be on the radar for several more new facilities focused on Europe. Google may not have been the first, but they certainly will not be the last to choose the Emerald Isle.