>To the 'infrastructure' question, I think the biggest concerns would >be power related. Although we have a DC in Buffalo that is cooled >on ambient outside air that has the opposite problem ; it's TOO cold >at the moment, so we are cycling most of the hot server exhaust >back into the computer rooms to maintain temperatures. 

 

Exactly what he said.  We actually run cooling and supplemental heating in extreme cold.  We need to keep the chiller pulling heat into itself and pumps moving on high to keep the outdoor components from freezing up.  During the summer you might run close to or slightly below freezing on the coolant loops but in these conditions you cannot run that low a temp because things will freeze up before the coolant returns.  We also have to keep the room reasonably warm (50F +).  You also need to watch out for fast temp excursions to keep humidity under control.

 

The wind speed does make some difference since it is like a fan on your evaporator pulling heat out of the cooling loops faster than still air will.

 

Steven Naslund

Chicago IL