Yahoo’s chicken coop inspired data center in Lockport, NY near Buffalo is finally open for business.

A departure from the “big box” look of most corporate data centers, Yahoo’s design allows for free-cooling, or the use of ambient temperatures to keep IT equipment cool for most of the year and save a bundle on energy costs. According to Yahoo, its Lockport data center consume 40 percent less energy than a typical facility.

It’s a water miser too, using 95 percent less water than most facilities. The fact that it’s situated in a region that’s mostly hydro-powered adds to its green appeal. All told, these features, including IT efficiency efforts, add up to a PUE of 1.08 versus an industry average of 1.92.

The data center will also serve to validate the U.S. Department of Energy’s $47 million in investments in green data center tech. $9.9 million of those funds went to Yahoo to help the company advance data center cooling. With a PUE of 1.08, it looks like money well spent.