Speeding up the expansion of data centers to generate profit more quickly is an increasingly important aspect, especially considering that the global colocation market is expected to grow to more than 62 billion dollars by the end of 2022, more than twice the growth rate of 2017.

In order to keep pace with these market requirements, ABB has developed a range of solutions and strategies designed to help clients in the colocation field put their infrastructure into service faster and achieve profit more quickly.

The goal is to allow colocation providers to avoid excessive investments in expansion which would remain partially inactive for long periods, generating losses instead of profits.

In this context, ABB has developed the ‘pay-as-you-grow’ approach: a range of solutions and strategies designed to help clients in the colocation field put their infrastructure into service faster and achieve profit even quicker.

The days of the “stick-built” data center are numbered

Building a data center entirely on site using the traditional “stick-built” – piece-by-piece – method can take 18 to 24 months or even longer.

For a typical colocation site, each month of inactivity represents the loss of around 1.5 million USD. The shorter the construction or development time, the sooner our clients can turn a profit. When it comes to the speed at which a datacenter is built, time really is money.

By working with the right solution provider, data center owners can benefit from tried and tested solutions able to reduce implementation times by 30 to 50 percent.

In light of this, ABB has defined three strategies designed to accelerate datacenter construction times.

1) Modular and pre-engineered solutions to promote scalability and support faster builds

The traditional approach, which involves planning, design and fabrication in-situ, is highly time-consuming.

The move to modern, modular and pre-configured solutions allows for significant timeframe reduction, accelerating income generation. This also applies to the power-supply side.

The remote power panel (RPP) built with ABB’s SMISSLINE TP’s is a good example of how pre-engineered solutions can optimize processes.

These power protection modules, already factory-tested, meet all standards and regulations, saving time and certification costs dramatically.

The configurable remote power panels are the ideal solution for data center engineers, as they can save time for planning and drawing since they meet 80 percent of the typical data center market application.

2) Digitization to facilitate implementation of solutions

Digitization is commonly associated with improved data center conditions and visibility, contributing to more rapid implementation and profitability. Choosing digital solutions for equipment such as a distribution board is another way to increase the speed of implementation.

Thanks to the collection and analysis of data, connectivity-based solutions can optimize the administration of assets through the monitoring and control of costs and operations.

A good example of such a solution is the System pro M compact® InSite range from ABB, composed of a series of energy and resource management solutions for intelligent, scalable and more efficient sub-distribution from the point of view of consumption and continuity of operations.

The system gathers data from devices such as energy and power meters, analyzes them and makes them available for optimization and automated monitoring in the field, reducing installation and configuration times, eliminating downtime and keeping costs in check.

3) Use of advanced online tools for fast, accurate configuration

Planning the energy distribution in data centers can be complex, demanding and subject to errors.

Consultants and design engineers can make use of a Server Room Sub-Distribution Configurator to create and visualize their sub-distribution layouts and receive a bill of material – a complete list of components with their related quantity and technical information required to build a data center – in no time.

With a 3D visual interface, this configurator provides a detailed wiring diagram of the power distribution system in just a few simple steps, optimized based on energy density, safety and flexibility.

These three strategic elements from ABB allow owners and operators of data centers to accelerate the development of their structures and to obtain returns more quickly without sacrificing functionality, reliability and safety.

Learn more about ABB’s solutions here.