Changing and Adapting Technology can Help Extend the Useful Life of a Data Center

25 Feb 2026

Planning Today for the Data Center of Tomorrow

The Cost is Real

Modern data centers are not cheap. Estimates range from USD500 million into the billions, but regardless, the investment is significant. It seems like it has happened right before our eyes: cloud computing services have gone from virtually nonexistent 20 years ago to just as important as any other public utility. 

A stark difference between the data center asset and other utilities is the useful life of the plant/asset. Power plants, water treatment plants, pumping stations, refineries, etc. last decades with proper refurbishments and maintenance over time. Aside from buried cables and switchgear, data center hardware is designed to last between 5 and 10 years. This is just the nature of the industry. 

Design for the Fluid Future

Assume that your footprint will be there longer than the initial bank of servers, with future servers using more power and requiring more coolant. In other words, your next set of servers will run hotter and use more power. 

• You’ll design floors to accommodate probable extra weight and allow spacing for increased HVAC infrastructure.
• It should be noted that the optimal balance of server size and power vs. cost and profitable life span has not yet been determined, so be ready to shuffle your assets and adapt.
• Modular construction with prefabricated modules for power and other support hardware allows more plug-and-play expansion and replacement in the future without affecting the entire facility.

Power

Specific to power, the future will involve more of a “bring your own power” model.  Authorities and the general public are not keen to paying higher rates due to forced expansion of base load resulting from data centers. 

• Fuel cells, small LNG turbines, and eventually small module nuclear reactors will provide reliable generation and minimal pollution while not requiring the same buildout of expensive assets that would be required for a significant grid buildout.
• Employing the smart use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to optimize peak shaving ensure the use of the local grid has minimal adverse effects on surrounding electric utility customers.

Now About Compliance: Trust in Intertek Total Quality

This is important. Intertek can help analyze your supplier network of critical components and ensure that your optimized design also meets local electrical power needs, customer performance requirements, and local code authority requirements. This includes

• Electrical safety
• Electromagnetic compatibility
• Energy efficiency
• Cybersecurity & AI Governance
• Sustainability

In the future, stakeholders will build systems within a footprint that is designed to outlast the initial assets. This means that the use of modular systems to optimize ROI are crucial to the planning. Maintaining compliance from the beginning with Intertek can help avoid costly re-work, financial penalties, and damaged relationships.