From Ground to Grid: Engineering Essentials for Data Center Development

Data centers have been around since the massive early IBM mainframes of the 1950s required dedicated rooms to house them. While the essential requirements for a data center are much the same as they were then, the scale has changed dramatically. The power, cooling, security, and connectivity that a modern data center demands are far beyond what they were only a decade ago.  Understanding the engineering essentials for data center development is critical to success in building a new facility.

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has had a massive impact on the data center industry. The early 2000s saw a boom in data center development as internet adoption, cloud computing and business globalization increased the demand for purpose-built and scalable infrastructure. The large-language AI models of today require computing power orders of magnitude higher than what was needed less than a decade ago.

Data centers housing hundreds of thousands of servers now dot the landscape from coast to coast. The need for more and more computing power is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The resulting need for more data centers will also continue and scalability is critical in their design. As with any rapidly expanding industry, the technology and regulatory requirements for data center development are evolving, too.

Data Center Development Engineering Essentials

Computing technology is complicated and so is the development of the data centers that house the servers that make it possible. Along with typical industrial design criteria, there are data center specific requirements that must be met.  Chief among them are the specific requirements for energy, cooling, connectivity and security.

Energy

The amount of energy that it takes to run data centers has increased dramatically over the past couple of decades and is unlikely to slow any time soon. Less than 1% of U.S. energy was consumed by data centers in the year 2000. Consumption is now close to 3% and expected to be over 7% (~390 TWh) by 2030. Electricity providers across the country are revising projections to meet future demand.

What this means for data center development is that careful grid analysis must be part of the planning process. Not only must a location provide today’s minimum power requirements, but must also have capacity to meet increasing demands in the future. Data centers will often be located near large power grids and right-of-way lines for this reason. Site selection involves careful analysis of local grid capacity as well as interaction with providers to assure future capacity.

Energy efficiency is also important from both sustainability and operational cost perspectives. Green data centers that meet LEED certification are becoming increasingly common. Design initiatives such as on-site renewable energy generation using wind turbines, solar power or fuel cells are increasingly used. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) to purchase renewable energy from off-site sources are another option. Renewables in addition to grid power can also factor into the redundancy requirements when engineering for data center development.

Efficiency of non-IT related power usage is also important. Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is the calculation of how much power actually goes to the computing equipment, and is commonly expressed as (Total Facility Power) / (IT Equipment Power). A value of 1 would be perfect, and the object is to get as close to that as possible.  Low power LED lighting components, free cooling, evaporative cooling and natural lighting are some of the common means to this end. 

Cooling

All of that energy consumption by the servers means they produce a lot of heat, and cooling is a major component of engineering in data center development. Raised floors and hot aisle containment strategies have been around for a while and help to direct cool air to where it can do the most good. Free cooling and evaporative cooling that leverage external air and water sources can help to lower energy use. Liquid cooling applied to the servers themselves is an efficient strategy that is becoming more and more popular.

Most cooling systems rely on water. Proximity to water sources and a thorough understanding of the local regulatory environment are critical areas that civil engineers address during the data center development planning process. Cooling systems and supporting structures must be designed to meet current demand calculations, but also be scalable for future equipment density.

Connectivity

Data centers are worthless if the servers cannot be reached by the applications and users that they provide data to. The availability of multiple high-speed fiber optic links is a critical consideration when choosing a location for a new data center project. Bandwidth and redundancy requirements dictate that multiple providers should be involved. Latency also plays a part in determining the ideal location for a data center. Sites are often chosen for their relative proximity to population centers.

Security

Protecting the information that moves through a data center from threats has become a paramount concern in the IT industry. Physical security is a large part of protecting that data. Choosing a location that can be physically secured is important in data center development. Buildings must be designed with appropriate access control, camera surveillance and monitoring.  

Risk Mitigation

Along with security threats, other potential risks must be mitigated in the design process. Dry agent fire suppression systems that cause minimal harm to servers are a necessary part of the plan. So too is lightning protection. Redundancy must be built into all critical systems to meet uptime standards. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), backup generators and redundant cooling systems help to meet the N+1 or 2N redundancy requirements.

Permitting and Entitlements

Another area where data center development differs from many other industrial development projects is in the regulatory environment. Environmental impact regulations and energy efficiency requirements can also pose significant hurdles. Local and federal regulations must be taken into account along with data center standards such as Uptime Institute’s Tier standards and ISO 27001.

Data centers will typically fall under industrial zoning, but specific requirements may require additional variances or special-use permits. Existing zoning ordinances may not specifically address the unique impacts that a data center may have. Energy consumption, water use and noise concerns have led to increased community opposition to their development. In addition to the environmental impact and strain on public resources, the economic impact is often cited, as well. Once established, data centers typically offer few permanent, high-paying jobs, which eliminates much of the incentive for local residents to support their construction.  

In some cases, lack of zoning clarity may work in favor of data center project approval. Increasingly, though, it is resulting in more scrutiny, protracted planning reviews, expensive litigation, delays and project cancellations. An experienced civil engineering firm can be an invaluable partner in understanding local sentiment and being prepared to navigate the approval process. When local opposition threatens a project, it is imperative that the risk is fully understood early in the process. 

The Role of Civil Engineering in Data Center Development

All of the factors mentioned above must be thoroughly understood and addressed to ensure a successful data center development project. An experienced civil engineering firm is an integral resource that will make sure that the unique requirements and dependencies are met.

The civil engineering team provides knowledgeable input from the site selection phase by ensuring that land requirements are met and the necessary utilities are available. From there, they are instrumental in navigating the permitting and entitlement process. Once the project starts, the civil engineering team will work to make sure the schedule remains on track with services such as project management, dry utility coordination, inspections and much more.

When a data center project is on your roadmap, Contineo Group can help.  Our team of experts has the experience to navigate the unique complexities involved. Our knowledge and communication skills make sure that permits are approved, requirements are met and stakeholders are satisfied. We help develop data center facilities that meet today’s needs and are scalable for the demands of tomorrow.