As the digital economy accelerates, data centers are the new industrial powerhouse – and electrification is at the heart of this transformation. For electrical contractors, this shift presents both opportunity and complexity. AI is changing the landscape from traditional data center designs to AI factories.
New location, design and operational requirements are taking shape as traditional data centers shift to AI factories. Data centers have seen steady changes and improvements over the past decade, gradually getting bigger, housing more power-hungry, high-density servers, and operating more efficiently and sustainably.
AI has accelerated this operational shift. For example, data centers have exploded in size in terms of power consumption. Ten years ago, a 30-megawatt data center was considered large. Today, a 200-MW facility is the new norm. The computing power required for AI workloads has set a new standard for infrastructure requirements including cooling and electrical infrastructure.
There are two primary trends shaping the data center construction market as it relates to artificial intelligence: speed to market and flexible, emerging designs.
Speed to market has taken on a whole new meaning in the data center industry. The race for AI leadership is equivalent to the 1960’s space race where companies want the first-mover advantage. Being early gives companies a chance to set standards, build brand recognition and dominate market share. In fast-moving AI sectors including generative AI, robotics, and autonomous systems, the first successful product often defines the ecosystem and gains customer loyalty. Faster ROI is another factor. The sooner a product enters the market, the quicker it can start generating revenue. Technologies are quickly evolving and building out scalable infrastructure in a condensed timeframe is critical for uptime.
AI factories introduce significant new electrical infrastructure design requirements due to the scale, complexity and intensity of the computer workloads involved – especially in training and deploying large AI models. This massive power density and delivery requires a different approach.
AI factories rely on efficiency – greater rack densities and smaller footprint to accommodate more servers. To support these rapidly evolving requirements, data center builders are moving away from traditional designs and topologies. The shift to medium voltage systems can accommodate larger scale and higher rack densities. Flexibility, installation efficiency, and space optimization are advantages in moving to a medium voltage design. MV UPS systems can deploy energy storage solutions for extended periods, unlike traditional LV technologies. This flexibility supports longer operational shifts during outages and enhances overall reliability.
Modern data center designs that cater to workload specification ensure that each square foot is utilized to its full potential. MV architecture can lead to installed cost savings and space optimization, as this equipment is typically placed in outdoor enclosures or buildings, freeing up more space for IT equipment.
As AI continues to redefine industries and reshape the global innovation landscape, the infrastructure supporting its development is just as critical as the algorithms themselves. AI factories are built based on rapid iteration, high-throughput training, and real-time deployment. Partner with ABB and together, we will electrify the future of digital infrastructure.
