Introduction
The modular datacentre has attracted a lot of press attention as it has gained traction over traditional approaches for physical infrastructure in retro-fit and new build developments. A survey carried out by Tier 1 Research in September 2011 anticipated that growth of these solutions would increase dramatically by an average of 25% to 55% up to 2016.
Traditional datacentre designs have almost always intentionally incorporated excess capacity upfront, because subsequent expansion of power and cooling capacity is extremely difficult and costly in a production datacentre. This has also led to people being overly conservative in capacity planning, resulting in higher up-front capital costs and chronic datacentre inefficiency.
By comparison; standardised, scalable datacentre power and cooling modules can provide “total cost of ownership” (TCO) savings of up to 30% when compared to traditional, built-out datacentre power and cooling infrastructure. They can also help avoid overbuilt capacity and, by scaling the design over time, can contribute to significant overall savings. A simple TCO analysis between the two architectures illustrates both capital and operational savings can be realised through adopting a modular architecture.
Modularity means more than ISO container-housed solutions. It can be a method of total facility construction, from foundation to rooftop, an including all the IT and infrastructure, supplied and assembled, on a just-in-time basis. Sized according to the load requirement, and scalable for future needs, it can allow infrastructure and IT to be kept in close parity.
Selecting the right modular building blocks for your datacentre is crucial for success; that’s where Comtec Power can help. Our expertise in datacentre consultancy, together with our experience in design and build, can be depended upon to help you find the right modular solution to meet your requirements. From small server rooms and network closets to medium and mega datacentres, we can help achieve a cost effective and efficient solution.