WiredInUSA March 2016

High wind

Data center

Wind power engineering specialist K2 Management is predicting heights of up to 170m for future turbine towers, using new construction techniques and materials. This compares to the tallest towers of 150m at present. Tower heights have increased steadily over the last decade as operators seek stronger wind speeds higher in the atmosphere. According to K2 Management wind resource experts, a 3MW turbine located in a forest area, for example, with an average wind speed of 6m per second, will meet 13 percent more wind speed if the turbine height is doubled from 70m to 140m. Annual energy yield prediction would increase by almost 30 percent because of reduced surface aerodynamic drag and the viscosity of the air. Therefore, going up to 170m from 70m will boost energy yield prediction by 35 percent on average. K2 Management CEO Henrik Stamer said: “170m towers could become a common sight in the near future in markets like the USA and Germany as part of a new renewable skyline. We expect to see more of these mega designs as we help our clients get the most out of their wind projects.”

Aqua Comms has selected Interxion to provide data center services in Ireland. Interxion’s data center will offer the connectivity options that Aqua Comms requires to meet clients’ needs. Dublin-based Aqua Comms provides a link between Ireland and America through the AEConnect transatlantic fiber optic cable from New York to London. AEConnect features the latest technology of 130x100Gbps per fiber pair and is designed to meet the exponential surge in bandwidth demand from carriers, global data centers, financial services companies, and cloud and content providers. The fiber optic cable was deployed in cooperation with Equinix.

wiredInUSA - March 2016

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