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A modular approach to data center design and construction could help overcome bottlenecks like labor availability, land constraints and long lead times for power and electrical equipment while boosting performance once operational, an executive with data center solutions provider Flex told Facilities Dive last week.
Chris Butler, president of Flex’s embedded and critical power business, said the company’s modular approach is gaining traction among data center developers following decades of use in other critical industries, such as wastewater treatment and fossil energy extraction.
Flex says modularity can slash the need for on-site testing and cabling by 70% while trimming data center project timelines by 30% overall. Building more components in controlled factory environments enables procurement of long-lead-time equipment earlier in the development process, ensures more consistent equipment performance and reduces risks to worker safety, the company says.
Sixty percent of data center projects that plan to come online in 2027 have not yet begun construction, raising questions about whether they’ll stick to their announced timelines, J.P. Morgan analysts said last month.
