What it is

Vertiv CEO Giordano Albertazzi describes data center industry shift toward megawatt-scale racks driven by AI workload power and cooling demands. The transition requires advanced liquid cooling and modular power solutions, representing a significant departure from traditional air-cooled infrastructure.

Why it matters

Moving from traditional rack densities to megawatt-scale represents a fundamental constraint on power distribution design and cooling infrastructure. Facilities managers and data center operators must redesign power pathways, busway systems, and PDU configurations to deliver unprecedented per-rack power. This affects both new build design decisions and retrofit feasibility in existing facilities.

Evidence from source:

  • Industry moving toward ‘megawatt-scale’ racks necessitating modular power solutions
  • Vertiv CEO identifies this as a significant departure from traditional cooling methods
  • Operators racing to build specialized, high-capacity environments

Open questions

  • What specific modular power distribution architectures are being deployed for megawatt-scale racks?
  • How are operators addressing electrical panel and feeder capacity constraints when retrofitting existing facilities?