Red Oak – Oglesby Road Campus

What makes Compass different from other developers? 

As a Class A, Community-First developer, we own and operate every campus we build. And we published a checklist any community can use to hold developers to a high standard, including us. Investing in communities we call home is a core tenant of that standard 

Who is your customer, and what will go into the building? 

Our customers are cloud and hyperscale providers — companies whose names people would recognize. The building holds servers and other equipment that support business critical computing that people use every day. Things like online banking and electronic payments, hospital and medical records, insurance claims, shipping and logistics and email, photo sharing and streaming. 

If you build it, will you stay? 

That is the right question to ask any developer. We own and operate every campus we build rather than selling them. The buildings are designed so equipment can be replaced as technology changes, without rebuilding. 

We have the same interest this community does in this region’s grid, roads and water still being sound decades from now. 

How much water do you use?

Since our founding in 2011, Compass has never used municipal water for cooling. Our cooling system is a closed loop, filled once and recirculated for the life of the building. Day to day, each building uses about as much water as two average households for restrooms and break rooms.  

What’s different about how you fill the cooling system?

Most closed-loop cooling systems are flushed and filled with city drinking water. Compass fills the loop with reclaimed water from industrial sources instead of using city water. Using reclaimed industrial water for flush and fill during commissioning is standard on every new Compass build. 

What do you treat the water with?

Standard additives that prevent corrosion and bacteria, the same kinds used in commercial heating and cooling systems, not anything unique to data centers. Our supplier, Ecolab, confirms PFAS (“forever chemicals”) are not used in these products. The treated water stays sealed inside our cooling pipes, separate from the drinking water supply.  

What is the cooling liquid made of?

It is 25% glycol and 75% water, delivered pre-mixed — the same family of coolant used in car radiators and home air conditioning. None of it contains PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals.’ It recirculates in a fully closed loop rather than evaporating, and it is never released into the environment. 

Do you ever change out the water in the loop?

Not during normal operation. Nalco, an Ecolab company, tests the water routinely and adjusts the treatment, so it can keep recirculating. The water may be replaced when the data hall’s equipment reaches the end of its useful life, typically around 20 years. When it is, a licensed handler collects it for recycling.

What happens if there is a leak in the building? Have you ever had a leak in a building?

The cooling loop is sealed and sits inside the building, not in the ground. It is monitored continuously, so a drop in pressure shows up immediately and the system flags it so it can be addressed. We have only had small leaks during system commissioning, all contained and disposed of appropriately. 

How much water is used during construction?

Water used during construction is typical of projects this size, and it is used for concrete mixing, dust control and site prep, drawn through standard permits like any other contractor. Where we can, we are shifting dust control and site prep to reclaimed industrial water. Domestic water use during operations drops to about two households per building – none of it for cooling. 

Will the data center raise my electricity bill?

Compass  pays for the infrastructure our campus needs for power, or we pay a higher dedicated rate charged only to us. Either way, those costs are not added to residential bills. Twenty-five utilities across nineteen states have adopted this approach. We cannot promise a utility will never raise rates – fuel prices, severe storms and unrelated capital projects all drive rates. What we can say is that our load will not be the reason.  

What about backup generators? Will we smell or hear them?

Generators are there for one reason: to keep the site running if utility power fails. They are not a power source, and they do not run to supply the campus. Our generators use cleaner-burning biofuel rather than traditional diesel. They are tested periodically, during daytime hours, and both the emissions and the sound are included in the air quality analysis and the acoustic modeling we do to ensure our project complies  with all EPA and local guidelines. 

What happens if our community experiences a grid emergency?

Compass’ power approach is community-first and grid-positive. In a declared grid emergency, under an electric service agreement with the local utility, large loads like ours are the first to be disconnected from the grid. The utility makes those calls.

At times when the grid is stressed, such as a 100-degree afternoon or a cold winter morning, if the utility asks, Compass will voluntarily disconnect from the grid to run on backup generation, so homes and businesses stay powered first.  

Does EMF from power lines, substations or data center equipment cause health problems?

No. The World Health Organization reviewed tens of thousands of studies and found no evidence that low-level EMF from power lines, substations or electrical equipment harms human health. It is the same kind that has flowed safely through household wiring and neighborhood power grids for more than a century. 

How much traffic will this bring?

Construction is the heavier phase, and it is temporary. Because more than 80% of our buildings are prefabricated off site and concrete is also mixed on site where possible, we generate substantially fewer truck trips than a conventional build of this size. That’s part of our Class A standard. Once operating, a campus like this produces very little traffic — a few hundred people across shifts, unlike a shift change at a factory. 

How much noise will the data center create?

We are committed to being a good neighbor. Compass designs and operates every campus to manage noise at or below the what local ordinances require. 

What happens in an emergency?

The campus runs around the clock and is monitored 24/7. Safety is a top priority, and we work continuously to identify and mitigate risk before it becomes a problem. Our emergency response plan is coordinated with local officials. Due to the size of the client’s technology investment inside our buildings, we utilize the most advanced fire prevention and detection systems in the world. 

Does Compass use NDAs to shield home communities from information? 

No.