Aerial Photos Show Apple's New Tactical Data Center, Solar Farm

New aerial photos posted by Wired of Apple's data center in Maiden, North Carolina show the company's progress on its tactical data center, solar farms, and fuel cell plant.

On our first flyby back in May, we could see that something was being built right next to the main data center. Back then, we guessed it was the site of the fuel-cell farm, but regulatory filings proved us wrong. It turns out that this 20,000-square-foot building, located just south of the main building, is what Apple calls a "tactical data center."

Nobody knows exactly what an Apple tactical data center is supposed to be, but according to Rackspace Chief Technology Officer John Engates, who has spent his fair share of time in windowless buildings racked with servers, it may be a neutral spot where Apple partners can come and plug their gear into Apple's grid without getting any exposure to the fantastic secrets housed in the larger 500,000-square-foot facility.


Permits filed with the county for the tactical data center list the cost of the new 11-room data center at $1,885,129. Apple will install 22 air conditioners, five fans, 14 humidifiers, six electric unit heaters, one electric duct heat louvers and ductwork. It will have only one unisex bathroom.

Take a look at the photos below.

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