FEATURE true among larger enterprise and hyperscale data centres , where nearly half of those operating facilities at 10MW and above reported racks above 20kW and 20 % claimed racks higher than 40kW .
99 % OF ENTERPRISE DATA CENTRE OPERATORS SAY PREFABRICATED , MODULAR DATA CENTRE DESIGNS
WILL BE A PART OF THEIR FUTURE
DATA CENTRE STRATEGY . THAT ’ S
MORE THAN A TREND ; IT ’ S THE NEW NORMAL .
designing their data centres with minimal generator capacity .
These are transitional steps to minimise the role of the generator as the industry searches for other options – including new battery technologies – for extended backup power . In 2023 , Vertiv ’ s experts anticipate a preferred alternative will emerge – specifically hydrogen fuel cells . These fuel cells will function much like a generator at first , providing momentary load support and eventually hold promise for sustained or even continuous operation .
Higher densities alter thermal strategies
After years of relatively static rack densities , data centre operators are increasingly requesting higher-density racks . According to the Uptime Institute ’ s 2022 Global Data Centre Survey , more than a third of data centre operators say their rack densities have rapidly increased in the past three years . This is especially
This is consistent with the maturity of liquid-cooled server technologies and increasing acceptance and adoption of such technologies . The aforementioned increases in server power consumption are happening as the need to add capacity quickly is growing , challenging operators from all sides . This leaves them little choice but to explore the boundaries of existing facilities by adding computing in tight spaces , increasing rack densities and creating thermal profiles that require liquid cooling . While liquid cooling is not a new technology , the early wave of successful , efficient , problem-free deployments in high-density environments has provided proof of concept that will boost adoption in the coming year . The addition of direct-tochip cooling to new OCP and Open19 standards will only accelerate this trend .
5G meets the Metaverse at the Edge
Omdia , in its 2022 Mobile Subscription and Revenue Forecast , projects nearly half of all mobile subscriptions – more than 5.8 billion – to be 5G by 2027 , pushing computing closer and closer to the user . The Metaverse is an application in search of an ultra-dense , low-latency computing network . In 2023 , we ’ ll see these two activities intersect , with Metaverse implementations leveraging 5G networks to enable the ultra-low latency features the application demands . Ultimately , this will require higher powered computing in those 5G Edge locations and we ’ ll see that happening soon – with early forays in 2023 followed by more widespread deployments in the years after . As the edge of the network becomes more sophisticated , so will the infrastructure needed to support it . This will include technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality planning and management systems and increased adoption of Lithium-Ion UPS systems at the edge – an ongoing trend that saw share increase from 2 % of sales in August 2021 to 8 % in August 2022 , according to IDC . �
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