Prefabricated Modular Data Centers: From Disruption to Default Option

Overview

The paper separates two ideas: modularity as incremental capacity blocks, and prefabrication as off-site assembly and testing. It shows that PFM spans skids, power modules, rooms and complete facilities, not only ISO containers. Benefits listed are parallel site and factory work, cost certainty, quality control and extended geographic reach. It cites a 451 Research forecast that the PFM market grows at a 14.4% five-year CAGR to about USD 4.4 bn by 2021.

The first example is a staged UPS-skid retrofit of a live 2N system. Six 625 kW UPS units in 2N (three per bus) carrying 1.5 MW ran at about 42% load and about 90% efficiency; a skid-mounted Li-ion replacement lifted efficiency above 96% and saved over USD 125,000 a year in power. The swap was done one unit and one bus at a time without taking critical load offline. Plug-and-play all-in-one modules cut start-up and commissioning to a few days instead of weeks or months.

The second example is Dimension Data's Tier III PFM facility: 120 racks expandable to 286, built and tested in Europe, split into 12 shippable units and reassembled in South Africa, ready for testing in under six weeks. Edge deployments range from roughly 5 MW city sites to a single hardened rack at a 5G mast. The text is a vendor advocacy piece; its numbers rest on a single case and a market forecast, so they read as examples rather than general rules.

Key points

1. Modularity is incremental capacity blocks, prefabrication is off-site assembly and testing; PFM spans skids, power modules, rooms and whole facilities.
2. 451 Research: PFM market forecast to grow at 14.4% five-year CAGR to about USD 4.4 bn by 2021.
3. Retrofit case: six 625 kW UPS in 2N (three per bus) carrying 1.5 MW ran at ~42% load and ~90% efficiency; skid-mounted Li-ion replacement raised efficiency above 96%, saving over USD 125,000 a year.
4. The replacement was done one unit and one bus at a time without taking critical load offline.
5. Plug-and-play all-in-one modules cut start-up and commissioning to a few days instead of weeks or months.
6. Dimension Data Tier III PFM: 120 racks expandable to 286, built and tested in Europe, split into 12 shippable units, ready for testing in under six weeks.
7. Edge deployments range from ~5 MW city sites to a single hardened rack at a 5G mast.

Using it in design

• Add a delivery-method attribute per block (stick-built, skid, power module, prefab room/facility) with factory-test status and shipping-split count.
• Let users plan phased capacity blocks and show stranded capacity against the demand curve.
• For retrofits of live 2N systems, check that per-bus sequential replacement keeps the other bus at full rating.

Who should read it

Investors and designers weighing stick-built against prefabricated modular delivery for new capacity.

Related standards

• ANSI/TIA-942
• Uptime Institute Tier Standard

Publication details

Authors

Vertiv

Publisher

Vertiv

Year

2019

Document number

SL-70441

Document language

English

Source type

Manufacturer

Access

Free to read

Licence

Copyright retained; citation only — the publisher’s terms apply to the original document

Citation