Understand the key trends that are top of mind in the data center construction sector.
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Summary
The inaugural Data Center Build conference, held in Austin, Texas, from May 8, 2023 to May 9, 2023, had a sellout audience to hear two days of content specifically aimed at the data center build industry. This first conference explored high-level topics, providing a general overview of the industry’s challenges and opportunities. Three topics that received the most audience participation were an inclusive workplace, power & supply chain, and the keynote on environmental sustainability.
Diversity and inclusion are the watchwords
Two sessions at the conference were devoted to diversity and inclusion. In the first session, the audience heard some accounts of what it is like for women on a construction site. Without going into detail, the picture was one of these sites does not consider the needs of women. Because they are in the minority, they are more noticeable and subject to unacceptable behavior by a small minority of male workers on site. The second session focused on what organizations can do to improve the situation. Vicki O’Leary, Director of Diversity at Ironworkers International, proposed a simple, easy-to-implement initiative. Her four Ds were:
- Don’t be a bystander: If you witness bad behavior, step in and say something, but if you do not feel comfortable, then “Distract.”
- Distract: Intervene and say the foreman wants to see you.
- Delegate: If you cannot physically get to where the incident is happening, delegate by asking somebody to act on your behalf.
- Delay: Follow up with people and check that the incident is not playing on their minds and they have somebody they can talk to.
Scope 4: You cannot be slow and sustainable
The industry and academics are working on defining the metrics for scopes 1, 2, and 3. However, there is no agreed standard yet, which means that organizations are finding these categories of little help. The question for all in the industry is what can be done to make a difference, and the message from the keynote speaker, Chris Crosby, CEO of Compass Datacenters, was clear. Organizations must change their thinking; being sustainable requires speed and long-term thinking. To help the audience, Crosby provided a simple four-step model Compass Datacenters uses in its projects. Crosby used a recent example in which Compass Datacenters built a 250,000-square-foot data center in 40 days, operational in 55 days. For Crosby, it is all about making many small changes that all add up.
- Means and methods: Consider how you do things like having on-site concrete production, thereby eliminating transportation.
- Technology: Use the available technology and challenge conventional thinking; use newer roofing technology to provide a longer-lasting roof, meaning fewer refurbishments over the project’s lifetime.
- Eliminate waste: 15% of power is wasted by not having high-voltage power distribution lines.
- Reduce labor: Design with labor in mind. In a manufacturing plant, materials are strategically placed for use and moved once when needed. On a construction site, materials are moved multiple times.
Power and its availability play a significant role in data center expansion plans
An overriding message was clear—the growth in demand for data center construction is outpacing utility companies’ abilities to generate and distribute power. Currently, 4 GW of capacity is under construction in the US this year. Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of the Loudoun County Economic Development, said he received a call earlier this year saying the area covered was at capacity and any new power requirements could not be satisfied for at least 12 months. This power issue combines insufficient generation capacity and stranded power because of poor distribution. For example, the wind farms on a windy day in Ohio were not working as they had sufficient capacity in the network, while other areas had power deficits. The big debate on the panel was the use of small nuclear reactors (SNR), which, while still not being used commercially, the expectation is that in parts of the UK in 2025, SNR could receive project approval for the installation of these.
Appendix
Author
Roy Illsley, Chief Analyst, Cloud and Data Center
