The Evolution Of Modular, Prefab Data Centers: What You Should Know
Steven Carlini, Chief Advocate, Data Centers and AI, Energy Management Business Unit, Schneider Electric.
gettyI’ve been strategically involved in the modular data center industry for over 30 years—yes, the industry has been doing this for a long time. However, the exponential demand for prefabrication is gaining significant momentum now. Spoiler alert: The race to build AI factory data centers is driving this momentum. But why the need for prefabrication? Let’s take a look.
A major data center build-out took place during the dot-com boom (mid 1990s to 2000), followed by a wave for cloud computing in the mid-2000s to 2010s. Although there were some prefabricated “all-in-ones,” packaged chillers and power skids, these data centers were primarily “stick-built” or assembled from pieces procured through a bid-spec process, which was very slow and time-consuming.
That’s not the only reason modular data centers were unpopular initially. Initial designs were often housed in repurposed shipping containers with high costs. Additionally, these first deployments faced unforeseen access requirements, like doors, stairs and ramps. Trouble driving the large modules down some streets, especially in cities, and a lack of cranes on-site were part of the learning curve.
Today’s data center AI factories are significantly different and more challenging than cloud versions of data centers. They require a new planning through commissioning process. One difference is the size and scale because AI factory campuses can be up to 10 gigawatts. Therefore, high power equipment scheduling and primary power access or construction are usually on the critical path. The power densities per rack are close to 250 kilowatts versus 10 to 20 kilowatts for cloud data centers. Cooling is now hybrid (air and liquid) but primarily liquid cooled, whereas cloud data centers didn’t usually use liquid cooling.
These criteria—power capacity and scale and high-density liquid cooling—create considerable planning, design and construction challenges.
Building these power units off-site reduces on-site labor and avoids weather delays. Skilled electrician labor at the site is becoming a significant concern for deploying these power systems from a time perspective.
Although the benefits of modular data centers are compelling, there are some issues that you need to consider. I remember one of the first modular data centers we shipped to a customer. It was in a city, and the prefab data center was 40 feet long. The driver couldn’t navigate through a few of the streets simply because of the turning radius. We had to do a study of possible access routes and coordinate with law enforcement to have a few of the roads closed.
Then, there was the issue of getting it off the truck and into place. The rented crane wasn’t strong enough to lift the module. Because 50-ton cranes are somewhat difficult to secure quickly, it added another three days to the installation. That, combined with the rerouting, caused a week of delays. Also, if the data center is built in a remote area, you’ll need to look at the weight capacity of the roads and certainly the bridges.
There’s also an issue with cramped interiors. Modular data centers are space-optimized, which may mean tight aisles with limited clearance, complicating maintenance ergonomics and hardware swaps. Plus, if you’re planning on stacking modules, be aware of local assess requirements. There are many cases we were involved with where the modules had to have dedicated staircases and access balconies that weren’t planned for. That all said, it certainly helps to work with an experienced supplier, as they’ll likely have encountered these concerns and be able to mitigate them.
Modular data centers may not be new, but challenges driven by the latest accelerated compute AI clusters are forcing accelerated change in the way data centers are designed and deployed. Although prefabrication could have been seen as a luxury a couple of decades ago, at this scale of deployment and with these challenging densities coupled with a major shortage of tradespeople, prefabrication is an option that’s quickly gaining attention in today’s AI factory data centers.
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