Why Technology Consultants Are Needed in Hyperscale Data Centers

Shaun Barnes CNIDP, CDCDP, CTPM and Tim Kuhlman PE, RCDD, CDT contributed to this article.

Technology systems are the backbone of an entire hyperscale data center. They are not just the core network, but the telecom systems that support the building’s mechanical and electrical systems, the security systems that protect the facility, and the distributed antenna systems (DAS) that ensure both cell phones and emergency responder radio coverage systems (ERRCS) can operate within the facility. 

Hyperscale data center Owners are involving technology consultants earlier than ever in their projects, recognizing the benefits they bring - specifically when it comes to site selection and avoiding potential re-work.

Selecting the Best Site

Owners face a major challenge in locating suitable land, assessing it, and procuring it at a good price before the competition does. By involving technology consultants in site selection, Owners can speed up the entire site selection process. Technology consultants will conduct a site due diligence study for the Owner. These studies primarily assess security vulnerabilities and technology limitations - they are relatively inexpensive and precede design studies and ordinary site investigations.

Working closely with the Owner teams, technology consultants can rapidly determine whether the site is suitable. If so, they can create a master plan addressing the identified technology limitations and security vulnerabilities to provide a strong base for design.

Limitations and security risks are best managed at project inception before programmatic planning has reached a stage where risk avoidance and mitigation measures are no longer available. In addition, identifying and addressing potential issues early on allows for changes to be made at minimal cost to the Owner.

Avoiding Re-Work

Hyperscale data center projects benefit from technology consultants coordinating with civil, structural, and architectural (CSA) designers from the very start of the project. Ensuring early understanding of the technology requirements helps to shape civil masterplanning, architectural space planning, and structural requirements. And in turn, the risk to re-working architectural spaces and civil constraints is greatly reduced.

Projects also benefit from early and extensive coordination between technology consultants and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers. This teamwork ensures that MEP engineers allocate the necessary space and utilities for technology systems and consequently receive detailed power requirements from technology consultants.

Electrical and mechanical systems increasingly depend on the technology infrastructure for support. Building management systems, facility management control systems, and power monitoring typically rely on the telecom infrastructure. These two disciplines (technology and telecom infrastructures) work together closely to coordinate the phased installation of equipment so the mechanical systems do not cycle excessively and damage the equipment.

TEECOM Can Help

Our clients depend on us to help them deliver highly complex projects on time, under budget, and to their exact design requirements and expectations. We evaluate sites for security and infrastructure requirements, work with AEC teams to detail security requirements for entire campuses, design complete telecom systems, ensure redundant paths for all carriers, fully test networks, and include DAS and ERRCS in the data center design.

Could you benefit from having expert technology consultants work with you on your next project? TEECOM will be with you every step of the way, delivering the results you need while maintaining consistency and improving upon lessons learned. To learn more about how we help clients develop customized solutions catered to their installer and all necessary teams, contact us today using the form at the bottom of the page!