Modular data center construction: what factory built really means

Modular data center construction builds power, cooling and IT units in a factory, then ships and assembles them on site. The pitch is speed and less waste. The evidence is mostly from vendors, so read it with care.

What the survey says

An Omdia survey of 228 data center decision makers, reported by Vertiv in 2022, found 52 percent had deployed prefab modular and 93 percent would use it as the default build method. The people surveyed were already deciding on modular, so the result likely leans positive.

Speed claims

Arizton research quoted by Vertiv says prefab can shorten the time to bring a facility online by up to 30 percent. Vertiv’s own white paper says parallel workstreams can cut deployment time by up to 50 percent. Both come through a company that sells the product.

Waste and materials

Vertiv also says off site construction can reduce waste to 1.8 percent versus 30 percent, with steel recovery above 90 percent. It cites unnamed research, so treat these as claims.

What this means for owners

Modular helps most when speed is the main goal and the design is repeatable. If your site has unusual constraints, a custom design may fit better. Ask for a side by side schedule and cost from an independent estimator.

Check how the units will be transported and who is responsible for site work, since those costs can be missed.

What is missing

I found no independent cost figure. The embodied carbon claims do not cover operating energy, and moving factory units adds transport.

Every figure in this article comes from the sources listed below, and where a number is company reported we say so. Our Eco Tools page has calculators for water, PUE, carbon and efficiency payback if you want to test the ideas yourself. If you spot a mistake, tell us and we will fix it.

Sources: Vertiv on Omdia research; Vertiv white paper. Figures marked as company reported come from the company itself.