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28 Sep 2026

9 min

Designing power for AI-era data centers

Rack densities have tripled. Here is what that means for the power train.

Data center hall with long aisles of server racks

Written by

Sofia Brandt

VP Engineering

LinkedIn

A typical enterprise hall was designed around racks drawing a few kilowatts each. Training clusters now ask for many times that, in the same footprint, with loads that can swing sharply within seconds. The building has changed less than the electrical problem inside it.

Density changes the power train

Higher rack power pushes more current through every stage, from the utility intake to the busway. Transformers, switchgear and UPS modules are sized differently, and cooling and power now have to be planned together rather than in sequence.

The constraint is rarely the hall. It is how quickly the site can secure, and safely distribute, enough power.

In many regions the grid connection is the longest lead item. On-site storage helps by bridging the gap between what the utility can offer today and what the campus will need at full build-out.

What we design for

  • Phased energisation, so early halls go live before the full connection is ready

  • Fast load steps from training jobs without tripping protection

  • Ride-through from storage, with generators as the last line of defence

  • Spare battery capacity that can earn grid revenue where rules allow

Getting this right early avoids rework later. The power train is now part of the product, not just the plumbing behind it.

Let’s build infrastructure

for what’s next.

Tell us about your site, your load or your grid connection. An engineer — not a sales team — will reply within two working days.

Let’s build infrastructure

for what’s next.

Tell us about your site, your load or your grid connection. An engineer — not a sales team — will reply within two working days.

Let’s build infrastructure

for what’s next.

Tell us about your site, your load or your grid connection. An engineer — not a sales team — will reply within two working days.

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