How older data centers are keeping pace

In the last three years, the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence has caused a dramatic shift in the data center landscape.

The global data center market is set to expand at a 15% compound annual growth rate, with potential to grow at a 20% rate by 2027, according to JLL’s Global Data Center Outlook.

Yet challenges in sourcing land and power for new sites can mean it takes years for new data centers to be built. Semiconductors and high-powered chips are consuming more power and generating more heat, affecting rack densities, data center designand cooling requirements.

“Keeping existing facilities competitive and efficient is becoming an increasingly vital part of maintaining the current pace of growth,” says Colm Shorten, Senior Director of JLL Data Center Strategy & Innovation.

Yet as Shorten explains, since the concept of cloud emerged, data-center design fundamentally hadn't changed much for 20 or more years. Now, thanks to evolutions in GPU and chip technology, combined with the advent of tougher sustainability regulations and energy efficiency goals, traditional infrastructure is under pressure to change.

Take Germany, where new data centers starting operations on or after July 1, 2026, must achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.2 or less, while legacy data centers must reach 1.5 by July 2027 and 1.3 by July 2030.

“You don't have to make significant changes to the physical building envelope, but you do have to continuously optimize to drive efficiency, stay fit for customer purpose and meet environmental standards,” Shorten says.

This can involve incremental changes such as combining air cooling and active rear door heat exchangers to provide hybrid solutions that meet PUE commitments.