What will the data center of 2030 look like? How will design and technology change as AI moves to the next level?

Those are the questions that Vlad Galabov and his research team addressed at the Omdia Analyst Summit at the recent Data Center World conference. Vlad is the Senior Research Director for Enterprise Infrastructure at Omdia, one of the market intelligence services at Informa TechTarget.

At DCW we got a chance to talk with Vlad about how AI is changing the way data centers are designed and built, and how Omdia believes the market will evolve. It was an interesting conversation about AI and the road ahead. That includes a look at the growth on-site natural gas generation to support AI data centers, and how adoption of liquid cooling will scale dramatically to support high-density racks from NVIDIA.

00:00 - How AI will change the future design of data centers 01:07 - Overview of Vlad's work and the Omdia team's research focus 01:35 - How has the landscape changes since ChatGPT arrived? 03:30 - Why the pace of change is accelerating 07:10 - Reasoning as a glimpse into the future of AI 08:50 - On-site natural gas generation as a speed-to-market strategy 11:30 - The road ahead for liquid cooling 17:37 - How will enterprise customers keep pace in the AI arms race?

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Vlad Galabov on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-galabov-384b2535/

Omdia Web Site https://omdia.tech.informa.com/

RELATED VIDEO:

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk?si=xZIpDc7T0a06nTSO

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0

How Soon Will Nuclear Data Centers Become A Reality? https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound.

Are regional power grids actually constrained? Or could dozens of gigawatts of power be unlocked by new approaches to grid management and data center power contracts? That’s the intriguing question posed by new research from an energy analyst, and it could have large implications for the data center industry.

Data Center Richness host RIch Miller talks with Tyler Norris, whose recent research paper titled “Rethinking Load Growth” has made waves in the energy sector, advancing new strategies for managing growth on America’s power grid. Research by Norris found that close to 100 gigawatts of additional headroom could be created on US grids - if data centers can be flexible, and limit their power demands for a few hours each year.

Why would data centers want to do that? Because it might offer a faster path to power, which is a huge priority for hyperscale data center operators as they focus on the AI arms race and building America’s digital future. Let’s talk about data centers and flexibility.

Highlights from the discussion with Rich and Tyler:

00:00 - Why load flexibiility matters.

1:35 - Tyler’s background in the energy sector.

4:45 - How flexible loads could enable new approaches to grid management, enabling up to 100 gigawatts in additional capacity.

7:20 - Scenarios for data center load curtailment and implications for uptime.

22:00 - Does low capacity utilization in data centers offer an opportunity?

30:30 - Demand for AI is raising stakes for a workable solutions to a complex problems.

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years. Subscribe to our channel for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

Tyler Norris on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhnorris/

Rethinking Load Growth (Tyler's paper)
https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications/rethinking-load-growth

RELATED VIDEO:

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0

How Soon Will Nuclear Data Centers Become A Reality?
https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound.

The geography of data center real estate has been changing rapidly since ChatGPT arrived in 2022, kicking off huge demand for IT infrastructure for AI hardware. This AI boom has transformed how data centers are designed, and where they are located and powered.

To understand these changes, DCR host Rich Miller spoke with David Liggitt, the founder and CEO of datacenterHawk, which provides research and analysis on data center real estate. David is one of the sector’s sharpest analysts, and has been tracking data center markets for nearly 20 years. With the in-depth market data compiled by datacenterHawk, he has a unique vantage point on how AI is changing data centers, and what it may mean for our digital future.

In our discussion, David shares his perspective on utility power constraints in key real estate markets, the super-sizing of data center buildings and campuses, and how that has altered many of the traditional approaches to data center site selection. We also examine the influx of capital and new players in the data center market, whether there is a bubble developing, and why experience matters in delivering hyperscale campuses.

David also offers a glimpse into what datacenterHawk’s research suggests about which markets might emerge next as data center destinations. Some of them might surprise you. Here’s our conversation.

00:00 - Introduction from Rich and David's background
02:03 - How the AI boom has changed the data center market
04:55 - Following the power, and the new geography
07:25 - The growing role of natural gas in site selection
09:45 - Is there a bubble? Why execution matters.
12:45 - The outlook for consolidation and M&A
20:25 - What are the interesting emerging data center markets?
24:40 - Community relations and resource impact of new projects
26:21 - The Road Ahead for Data Center Supply and Demand

At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW:

datacenterHawk
https://datacenterhawk.com/

datacenterHawk on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@datacenterHawk

RELATED VIDEO:

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0

How Soon Will Nuclear Data Centers Become A Reality?
https://youtu.be/STr3FHuBhok

Why Data Centers Matter in the Age of AI
https://youtu.be/9GJSENgbcmk

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound.