• Smithsonian
    Institution
  • Travel
    With Us
  • Smithsonian
    Store
  • Smithsonian
    Channel
  • goSmithsonian
    Visitors Guide
  • Air & Space
    magazine

Smithsonian.com

  • Subscribe
  • History & Archaeology
  • Science
  • Ideas & Innovations
  • Arts & Culture
  • Travel & Food
  • At the Smithsonian
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Games
  • Shop
  • Human Behavior
  • Mind & Body
  • Our Planet
  • Technology
  • Space
  • Wildlife
  • Art Meets Science
  • Science & Nature

Where Do All Those Facebook Photos Go?

On the outer boundaries of the Arctic Circle lies a massive construction project funded by Facebook: the future home of thousands of server farms

| | | Reddit | Digg | Stumble | Email |
  • By Mark Strauss
  • Smithsonian magazine, July-August 2012, Subscribe
View More Photos »
Facebook servers
Facebook is building its first European data storage facility—60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden. (Scanpix, Sweco, The Node Pole / Ap Images)

Photo Gallery (1/5)

Facebook server

Explore more photos from the story


With 900 million members worldwide and growing, Facebook is building its first European data storage facility—60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden. The reason: natural air conditioning. Some Internet “server farms” spend as much to cool the machines as power them. Facebook’s Nordic operation—which will eventually expand to three 290,000- square-foot buildings, each housing tens of thousands of servers—will save millions of dollars on electricity. Plus, the buildings are designed to capture some heat from the servers and use it to warm employee offices. The estimated cost of building the facilities is more than $700 million. Sweden hopes that construction subsidies and other incentives, including the promise of clean hydropower, will attract more digital companies to a region now being marketed as the “Node Pole.”


With 900 million members worldwide and growing, Facebook is building its first European data storage facility—60 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden. The reason: natural air conditioning. Some Internet “server farms” spend as much to cool the machines as power them. Facebook’s Nordic operation—which will eventually expand to three 290,000- square-foot buildings, each housing tens of thousands of servers—will save millions of dollars on electricity. Plus, the buildings are designed to capture some heat from the servers and use it to warm employee offices. The estimated cost of building the facilities is more than $700 million. Sweden hopes that construction subsidies and other incentives, including the promise of clean hydropower, will attract more digital companies to a region now being marketed as the “Node Pole.”

    Subscribe now for more of Smithsonian's coverage on history, science and nature.


Related topics: Internet Sweden


| | | Reddit | Digg | Stumble | Email |
 

Add New Comment


Name: (required)

Email: (required)

Comment:

Comments are moderated, and will not appear until Smithsonian.com has approved them. Smithsonian reserves the right not to post any comments that are unlawful, threatening, offensive, defamatory, invasive of a person's privacy, inappropriate, confidential or proprietary, political messages, product endorsements, or other content that might otherwise violate any laws or policies.

Comments (2)

I'm older, first time on the Internet, I have nothing but respect for Facebook and what you're doing. The Internet is helping the new generation realize how important nature is. Thank you, also, texting is helping guard against waves that maybe damage the brain. Took awhile, but love texting. Nature heals. Now it's time for man to return the favor. Keep up the good work, you're amazing.

Posted by Carol Manthei on December 8,2012 | 08:36 AM

While building server farms near the Arctic Circle appears to be a very innovative and conscientious idea, I am wondering about the effect this will have on the Taiga Forest. The rendering of Facebook's new facility appears to place it right in the thick of the Taiga, a forest that encircles the globe and plays an enormous part in regulating the oxygen levels of our atmosphere. Will there be any regulations to building there, or will the Taiga be trampled - literally - beneath the march of industry?

Posted by Kenyon on July 17,2012 | 10:36 AM



Advertisement


Most Popular

  • Viewed
  • Emailed
  • Commented
  1. Jack Andraka, the Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer
  2. When Did Humans Come to the Americas?
  3. The Scariest Monsters of the Deep Sea
  4. The Ten Most Disturbing Scientific Discoveries
  5. Ten Inventions Inspired by Science Fiction
  6. Photos of the World’s Oldest Living Things
  7. How Titanoboa, the 40-Foot-Long Snake, Was Found
  8. How Our Brains Make Memories
  9. Ten Historic Female Scientists You Should Know
  10. Top Ten Most-Destructive Computer Viruses
  1. Jack Andraka, the Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer
  2. Who's Laughing Now?
  1. The Evolution of Charles Darwin
  2. The Dinosaur Fossil Wars
  3. Mad About Seashells
  4. The Fight to Save the Tiger
  5. Top Ten Most-Destructive Computer Viruses
  6. The Spotted Owl's New Nemesis

View All Most Popular »

Advertisement

Follow Us

Smithsonian Magazine
@SmithsonianMag
Follow Smithsonian Magazine on Twitter

Sign up for regular email updates from Smithsonian.com, including daily newsletters and special offers.

In The Magazine

February 2013

  • The First Americans
  • See for Yourself
  • The Dragon King
  • America’s Dinosaur Playground
  • Darwin In The House

View Table of Contents »






First Name
Last Name
Address 1
Address 2
City
State   Zip
Email


Travel with Smithsonian




Smithsonian Store

Framed Lincoln Tribute

This Framed Lincoln Tribute includes his photograph, an excerpt from his Gettysburg Address, two Lincoln postage stamps and four Lincoln pennies... $40



View full archiveRecent Issues


  • Feb 2013


  • Jan 2013


  • Dec 2012

Newsletter

Sign up for regular email updates from Smithsonian magazine, including free newsletters, special offers and current news updates.

Subscribe Now

About Us

Smithsonian.com expands on Smithsonian magazine's in-depth coverage of history, science, nature, the arts, travel, world culture and technology. Join us regularly as we take a dynamic and interactive approach to exploring modern and historic perspectives on the arts, sciences, nature, world culture and travel, including videos, blogs and a reader forum.

Explore our Brands

  • goSmithsonian.com
  • Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
  • Smithsonian Student Travel
  • Smithsonian Catalogue
  • Smithsonian Journeys
  • Smithsonian Channel
  • About Smithsonian
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • RSS
  • Topics
  • Member Services
  • Copyright
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Choices

Smithsonian Institution