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How AI and sustainability are redefining data centers

As artificial intelligence, sustainability, and edge computing reshape the digital landscape, data centers are undergoing a profound transformation. From AI-optimized infrastructure to modular design and renewable integration, the latest trends reveal a future built on intelligence, efficiency, and scalability.

What keeps our data center customers awake at night

 

1. Power and energy intensity of AI

As AI and cloud workloads surge, data center services are hitting a roadblock: access to reliable power. Data centers are among the highest consumers of electric power in the world. A recent IEA report projects that electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh), slightly more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan today.

 

2. Reliability challenges

With approximately 11,000 data centers worldwide, business continuity is imperative. Even a few seconds of unscheduled outages can be costly, disrupting operations and jeopardizing the continuity of countless services and applications. Aging data center infrastructure and technologies remains a concern for ensuring reliable and energy efficient operations as demands continue to increase.

 

3. Environmental and Regulatory Pressure

Data centers are undergoing scrutiny from regulators, communities and environmental groups. Concerns over carbon emissions, water usage and land impact are prompting stricter regulations and higher expectations for transparency.

 

4. Aging Infrastructure and Land Constraints

Building new data centers isn’t just about demand—it’s about space and infrastructure. In many regions, suitable land is scarce, and construction timelines are lengthening due to permit delays and supply chain disruptions. For example, 37 percent of worldwide data center capacity is in hyperscalers; half of which is in owned facilities and half is leased2.

 

5. Integration of Renewable Energy

Given the increasing power needs for data center services, it is of vital importance that many sources of energy be considered as part of their supply – including the integration of renewables, which adds greater complexity. Solar and wind are intermittent, requiring robust energy storage and smart grid integration. Legacy systems often aren’t designed for this level of flexibility.

 

ABB Solutions

As data centers face mounting pressure to deliver more capacity with fewer resources, ABB is helping operators overcome today’s most urgent challenges with a portfolio of innovative and digital technologies.

We ensure we support data centers in three key areas:

 

Reliability & Uptime

High reliability and uptime in data centers are essential to support the growing number of IoT devices and the increasing demand for uninterrupted digital services. By minimizing service interruptions and enabling proactive maintenance through digital monitoring and remote support, data centers can ensure continuous operations and avoid costly outages.

ABB MNS® Low Voltage Switchgear

ABB’s reliable power distribution solutions, such as high-efficiency switchgear are engineered to deliver consistent and stable power, minimizing energy loss, and enhancing reliability.

ABB's first medium-voltage UPS designed for mission-critical facilities

ABB’s Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) solutions such as HiPerGuard MV UPS and MegaFlex  offer robust backup power, ensuring that data centers remain operational during grid fluctuations or outages.

Energy Efficiency

Driving energy efficiency helps reduce data center power consumption and carbon emissions, while supporting long-term operational cost savings. By leveraging digital monitoring and high-efficiency technologies, data centers can drive more energy efficient operations without compromising performance or reliability.

Ultra-low harmonic (ULH) drives

Ultra-low harmonic (ULH) drives offer significant benefits for data centers including enhanced operational reliability and easier integration making them a sustainable and economical long-term cooling solution.

ABB’s circuit monitoring system

ABB’s circuit monitoring system, which helps ensure consistent power comes into data centers, can be added to pre-existing wired panels and immediately provide data collection, analysis, and energy optimization.

On-site microgrids with renewables and battery Energy storage systems (BESS)

On-site microgrids with renewables and battery energy storage systems (BESS) increases flexibility, enhances resilience and improves sustainability. ABB recently introduced Battery Energy Storage Systems-as-a-Service to simplify renewable energy adoption.

ABB's digital switchgear and ABB Ability™ Energy and Asset Manager

ABB’s digital switchgear and ABB Ability™ Energy and Asset Manager provide real-time insights into asset health and power metrics, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing unplanned outages.

Speed & Scalability

Data centers need speed and scalability to rapidly adapt to growing data demands while minimizing deployment time and operational costs. To support data center service owners and operators to scale with agility, ABB’s modular and prefabricated systems  accelerate deployment by up to 50%, reduce on-site labor, and support a pay-as-you-grow model. 

 

Key data center case studies around the world

From fuel monitoring to airflow management, ABB’s solutions help data centers operate with greater confidence, flexibility, and long-term resilience—meeting growing digital demands in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

ABB and Applied Digital accelerate AI-ready data centers

Applied Digital, a builder and operator of next-generation data centers, has launched an infrastructure partnership with ABB at the company’s greenfield 400 MW campus in North Dakota, United States. The collaboration will innovate fast, reliable, energy-efficient solutions to meet the needs of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. 

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Supercomputing at Scale

The KCY Cloud Data Center - a new high-performance computing data center in Chengdu, China is designed to deliver 500 petaflops of computing power in its first phase. ABB provided a comprehensive data center power solution—from medium-voltage switchgear to low-voltage distribution systems—designed to scale with the customer’s growth plans.

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Clean Power for Cool Performance

A leading social media platform selected ABB’s Ultra-Low Harmonic Drives to power the HVAC systems in its new Asia-Pacific data center. These drives ensure clean, stable power while optimizing cooling performance—critical for maintaining uptime in high-density environments. ABB’s solution supports reliable operations and energy-conscious performance at scale.

A global cloud and AI services provider, operating data centers worldwide, partnered with ABB to enhance the performance of its Southeast Asia facility. With increasing energy demands and strict data center power quality requirements, ABB’s Ultra-Low Harmonic (ULH) Drives were selected to meet harmonic distortion standards while optimizing the operation of pumps and fans. 

ABB’s Automation Backbone in a Global Co-location Hub

A multinational company specializing in internet connectivity and colocation centers, selected ABB’s PLC (programmable logic controller) automation solutions for its new data center in the Middle East to control  fuel storage monitoring and help ensure operational reliability. ABB helped the data center with technical support, and an optimized solution with third party scalable communication and system configuration.