The Battery Spec Has Changed: How AI-Era Data Centers Are Rewriting Backup Power

Data centers didn’t change overnight, but their loads did.

Artificial intelligence clusters, higher rack densities, accelerated build cycles and power-constrained markets are reshaping how data center operators think about resilience. 

Backup power is no longer a static insurance policy sitting quietly in a battery room. It is part of a broader energy strategy, one that must align with uptime expectations, life cycle economics, safety engineering and, increasingly, sustainability goals.

Michael Sirard, chief technology officer at MPINarada, said this shift is pushing lithium and, more specifically, lithium iron phosphate chemistries, into sharper focus as a data center power source. But long-held concerns remain, including fire risk, code compliance, environmental impact and temperature performance. 

“The question isn’t whether lithium can be made safe in data centers,” Sirard said. “The question is whether it is engineered, monitored and installed correctly.”

Sirard walked Bisnow through data centers’ needs for new battery sources and the growing role of lithium in this fast-changing industry. 

The Demand Shift: Backup Is No Longer Passive

AI-driven growth is intensifying both energy consumption and the volatility of data center load profiles, Sirard said. 

“Facilities that once operated under relatively stable demand assumptions now face rapid scaling, fluctuating workloads and tighter power envelopes,” he said. “In many markets, power availability itself has become the gating factor for development.” 

As a result, operators are reevaluating every critical component, including batteries. 

Historically, valve-regulated lead-acid batteries dominated uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, systems because they were familiar, well understood and cost-effective, he said. But VRLAs also carry known constraints, including weight, maintenance demands and replacement cycles that may not align with the life cycles of modern platforms.

Today, Sirard explained, buyers are looking for more from their batteries and evaluating sources in different ways. These include examining life cycles to ensure they align with IT and UPS refresh cycles and optimizing physical footprints and white space. Other priorities are recharge speed and recovery performance, operating temperature tolerance, and predictive maintenance capabilities.

The New Battery Specification

Lithium-ion technologies are increasingly part of that battery evaluation conversation, Sirard said. Their appeal lies in several structural advantages, including higher energy density, reduced maintenance, faster recharge and, in many cases, longer service life compared to traditional VRLA systems.

Beyond that, from an operational standpoint, lithium’s life cycle alignment is another critical differentiator, he said. 

“Where VRLA batteries may require replacement within three to five years, depending on environment and duty cycle, properly engineered lithium systems can extend replacement intervals significantly,” Sirard said. “That matters when facilities are optimizing maintenance windows and minimizing disruption to live environments.” 

Temperature tolerance is another factor. In many deployments, lithium systems can operate effectively at higher ambient temperatures than VRLA, potentially reducing cooling burdens and expanding placement flexibility — particularly in edge or constrained environments.

Lithium Isn't One Thing

One of the most persistent misconceptions in the market is that “lithium” is a single, monolithic technology, Sirard said. 

Different chemistries — including nickel manganese cobalt and lithium iron phosphate — show different performance characteristics, thermal profiles and risk considerations, he said. Packaging, battery management systems, enclosure design, ventilation strategy and installation practices also materially affect safety outcomes.

“The data center industry’s hesitation to adopt has been rooted in legitimate concerns,” Sirard said. “Lithium-ion incidents in other sectors, such as the electric vehicle industry, have received high-profile attention. As a result, authorities having jurisdiction are scrutinizing installations more closely.” 

However, he said, the difference between EV battery systems and engineered stationary UPS deployments, like the ones in data centers, is the latter operates under a different design philosophy. 

“Stationary data center applications emphasize controlled environments, integrated building management system monitoring, engineered fire detection and suppression systems, and structured commissioning and documentation,” Sirard said. “While all of this does eliminate risk, it manages it more effectively through design discipline.”

Safety And Compliance: Thinking Like An Engineer

As lithium adoption increases, so does the need for structured evaluation frameworks, Sirard said. A practical lens for owners and design teams includes four pillars:

• Siting and separation: Room configuration, adjacency to white space, egress pathways and structural considerations must be evaluated early in design.
• Active monitoring: Advanced building management system platforms, thermal monitoring and alarm integration are central to risk mitigation. Real-time visibility is not optional.
• Fire strategy: Detection, ventilation and suppression systems must align with the specific battery chemistry and installation scale. Coordination with fire protection engineers and authorities having jurisdiction is essential.
• Engineered compliance pathway: Documentation, testing protocols and adherence to evolving codes are as important as the hardware itself.

“This is where the conversation shifts from chemistry to competence,” he said. “The most successful deployments are not simply product substitutions; they are integrated engineering decisions.” 

Environmental Considerations: A Life Cycle Equation

Sustainability discussions around lithium are frequently polarized, Sirard said. While mining impacts, material sourcing and end-of-life considerations deserve attention, at the same time, life cycle analysis must also account for service longevity, operational efficiency and replacement frequency, he said. 

“There is no single ‘green’ answer,” he said. “Sustainability is a life cycle equation: manufacturing input, operational efficiency, longevity and end-of-life strategy.” 

Longer-lived systems reduce the number of battery changeouts over a facility’s lifespan. Additionally, higher energy density can reduce material volume per installed capacity, and recycling technologies and supply chain transparency are rapidly evolving.

“For many operators, the decision becomes one of relative impact, not absolute purity,” Sirard said

A Pragmatic Path Forward

For operators evaluating lithium, particularly LFP, the most productive approach is not binary. It is contextual, Sirard said. 

Some architectures may continue to favor VRLA in specific applications. Others may transition to lithium where life cycle alignment, footprint constraints or operational performance justify the shift. The key is structured analysis rather than reactionary avoidance or blind adoption.

MPINarada’s approach reflects that pragmatism, he said. The company works across both VRLA and lithium platforms, focusing on engineered design, monitoring strategy and education for owners, engineers and AHJs. The emphasis is not on replacing one chemistry with another indiscriminately but on matching technology to application and ensuring compliance, safety and life cycle accountability.

“Adoption without engineering is a risk,” Sirard said. “Engineering without education is friction. The industry needs both.” 

As AI-driven growth continues to reshape the power equation, the battery specification will continue to evolve, he said. 

“The winners will not be those who choose the newest chemistry by default but those who evaluate risk, life cycle and operational realities with rigor,” he said. “Lithium’s role in data centers is expanding. The conversation now is about how to adopt it well: engineered, compliant and aligned with the way modern facilities actually operate.” 

This article was produced in collaboration between MPINarada and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.