Yahoo’s newly-opened high-tech, energy-efficient data center in Lockport, N. Y., marks the first implementation of the search giant’s green data center design, called the “Yahoo Computing Coop (YCC)” or the “Yahoo Chicken Coop.”

According to a company release, the energy-efficient design of the YCC, which aims at enhancing airflow to meet the cooling needs of the data center, was recognized by the US Department of Energy with a sustainability grant of $9.9 million this year.

Largely based on the principles of chicken coop design – comprising a series of long, tall buildings aligned along the path of the prevailing winds – the YCC design of the new Yahoo data center essentially uses a combination of Lockport’s cool climate, prevailing winds and hydropower to cool the 120-by-60-foot server buildings.

Noting that the YCC design is a take off from the long, narrow design of a chicken coop to encourage natural air flow 100 percent of the time, Yahoo said that, thanks to the design, the data center is among the world’s most efficient data centers; boasting a low power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.08, vis-à-vis the industry average of 1.92.

Talking about the new data center, David Dibble, Yahoo’s Executive VP of Service Engineering and Operations, said: “With the Yahoo Chicken Coop design, we are spending less than one cent for cooling for every dollar spent on electricity. Significantly reducing our electricity usage is not only good for the environment, but also good for our bottom line, giving Yahoo a competitive advantage.”