Plenty Of Life Left: Considerations For A Data Center Retrofit

A growing number of data centers built during the industry's early growth years are approaching a crossroads. While demand for digital infrastructure continues to surge, many facilities designed 10 to 20 years ago are struggling to keep pace with today's power densities, cooling requirements and tenant expectations. 

For owners, the challenge is often not whether an asset still has value but whether it can be adapted to remain competitive in an increasingly demanding market.

“If you’re trying to continue generating revenue with a legacy facility, its technology might be reaching the end of its life and not cut it anymore — those computer room air handlers will only run for so long, after all,” Graham Vice President of Advanced Technology Scott Rugen said.

Growing density affects the marketability of older facilities as well. Rugen noted that a modern rack can have the capacity of an entire data center of a decade ago.

Beyond infrastructure concerns, owners are responding to changing market expectations as legacy facilities compete with newer developments offering greater density, energy performance and operational flexibility. For those reasons, a successful retrofit requires a thorough understanding of the center’s limitations and potential as well as what changes need to be made on-site to meet the owner’s goals. 

For instance, increased density often requires additional cooling capacity, electrical infrastructure and support for technologies such as liquid cooling. Owners must also determine whether existing structures, systems and site constraints can support these upgrades.

Rugen said a knowledgeable partner can help a data center navigate this complex undertaking and ensure the facility is truly prepared for its next decade of operation.

“It's important to spend the time necessary to understand what you have in your current center and what your options might be,” he said. “The solutions may not always be as simple as you think when you start these exercises, which is why you and your experienced partners need to do your due diligence.”

Equally important is understanding how improvements will be implemented while maintaining operations. Many retrofit projects require complex cutovers and building automation system control upgrades that must be carefully coordinated with facility operations teams. The challenge is not simply in designing the upgrade but delivering it without disrupting critical infrastructure.

Dig Into It

The need for a retrofit can become clear as equipment either approaches the end of its useful life or becomes difficult to service because parts are no longer available.

To identify issues beyond the obvious red flags, Rugen recommends creating a digital twin with the help of design and construction partners. This can help identify components that perform adequately today but may create future operational challenges.

“A good model of your systems allows you to dig into operations and maintenance questions, such as do we have water flow issues in one area or another, or is there an unusual drop in pressure in our water loop in a certain place?” he said. “Or, should we try to reuse some of our existing infrastructure? Does it function properly? The last thing you want to do is try to reuse something that's already clogged or has had an inherent flaw from the beginning.”

It’s also important to talk to the operations and maintenance team that interacts with the building and its equipment every day and can be aware of issues that are not apparent on a computer-aided design drawing. Rugen recalled one eye-opening experience when a center’s chiller plant crashed while he toured the building.

“The O&M lead just said, ‘Hang on a minute,’ and he did this Fonzie thing where he walked over to a piece of equipment, bumped it and pushed a button,” Rugen said. “Everything came back up, and he said, ‘Oh, that happens every now and then.’ Well, that wasn’t on any drawing, but you need to know about things like that to develop your retrofit plan.” 

Many of the same planning, phasing and operational continuity challenges associated with data center retrofits are found in other mission-critical environments. Whether modernizing airport infrastructure, healthcare facilities or industrial operations, successful projects often require upgrades to be delivered while critical functions remain online. Rugen said those lessons can be invaluable when planning data center modernization programs.

Whether the situation ultimately calls for simply replacing some faulty valves or demands much more extensive changes, the best retrofit strategy is created with flexibility in mind to accommodate future technology improvements. While true “future-proofing” is an impossibility in this fast-evolving industry, a retrofit that allows the data center to more easily make future upgrades can be a major time and money saver for the owner, he said.

The Right Partner Matters

Graham, which works in both the United States and Canada, sees a strong demand for retrofits in Texas, the fastest-growing data center market in the world. Legacy data centers in places like Houston, Austin and Richardson are beginning to reach the 20-year mark. 

Most of these properties are not hyperscale or directly involved with supporting the growth of artificial intelligence but instead perform meat-and-potato enterprise and cloud functions. But each is unique and requires a thoughtful approach to its retrofit, Rugen said.

“These operators need the flexibility to respond to the market because their clients’ needs are different now,” he said. “Their clients want efficiency and sustainability, and owners need to have a marketable product that responds to the varying demands of their customers.”

Retrofit programs require partners who understand how to modernize facilities while maintaining live operations.

“Picking collaborative partners is an important first step, and then working through the process with them with open eyes,” Rugen said. “A lot of times, the solution ends up being something that wasn't contemplated at the beginning of the conversation. The right partners will help you make a good decision that maximizes the return on your legacy asset.” 

A successful retrofit, Rugen noted, can unlock additional value from an existing asset, improve efficiency and help a legacy facility remain productive, relevant and connected to the communities it serves.

“When people think about retrofits, they tend to focus on the equipment,” he said. “But done right, it's about much more than that. You're extending the useful life of an existing asset, improving its performance and creating a facility that's more efficient, better maintained and a better fit for the community around it.”

For more information, visit www.grahambuilds.com or contact Scott Rugen, vice president, advanced technology.

This article was produced in collaboration between Graham 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.