TECHNOLOGY, AI & ROBOTICS
THE SMARTER ROUTE TO DATA CENTRE RESILIENCE
Steve Clifford, Director of Data Centres at EMCOR UK, explores the challenges of data centre demand and explains why with the right planning, engineering expertise, and risk management, retrofitting existing assets allows operators to meet demand today and build resilience for tomorrow.
The world’s appetite for data is insatiable. As AI, edge computing, and digital transformation accelerate, so does the demand for resilient, high-performance infrastructure. But there’s a catch: the energy footprint of data centres is ballooning. By 2030, AI could drive their carbon emissions to six times 2023 levels.
While hyperscale developments remain a key part of meeting global data demand, they’re increasingly complex to deliver. Market challenges include planning approvals taking longer, grid connections becoming harder to secure, and investment costs rising. At the same time, pressure is mounting to reduce environmental impact. As a result, more operators are seeing retrofit not as a fallback, but as a strategic route to grow capacity within existing sites.
Why retrofit makes business sense Retrofitting isn’t just a patch job. It’s a strategic move that can boost capacity, cut emissions, and save time. Upgrading existing facilities can cost up to 40% less than building new ones and reduce project timelines by
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as much as 30% by avoiding the drawn-out process of planning approvals and utility connections.
With many first-generation data centres approaching the end of their useful life, operators are seizing the opportunity to modernise by extending asset life, increasing rack density, and improving energy performance. It also unlocks immediate environmental gains. Reusing and upgrading existing infrastructure is a far lower carbon pathway than new construction, aligning with tighter ESG requirements and sustainability targets.
Engineering around uptime Retrofit is not without its challenges. Keeping live environments operational while upgrading ageing systems is a precision task. A single misstep can cause costly disruption or even downtime. That’s why early-stage planning, stakeholder collaboration, and phased delivery are non-negotiables.
Best practice retrofit projects involve: • Upgrading M&E systems including UPS, cooling, and fire protection.
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