Adapting Infrastructure for Flexibility, Speed and Growth

In the high-velocity era of cloud, AI, edge and hyperscale data-centres, one of the most significant infrastructure shifts is the movement toward modular and scalable power-and-cooling systems. Rather than building large monolithic facilities that take years to design and construct, many operators are now favouring modular building-blocks, skidded systems, plug-and-play modules and scalable cooling/power infrastructure that can expand with demand.

What “Modular & Scalable” Means in Cooling Power

Modular in this context involves prefabricated or pre-tested components (e.g., power distribution units, coolant-distribution skids, cooling pods, prefabricated racks) that can be installed, commissioned and integrated rapidly. Scalability refers to the ability of the system to grow incrementally (pay-as-you-grow) rather than forcing big upfront CAPEX. Some key trends include:

• Prefabricated data-centre modules (PDCMs) which contain racks, cooling loops and power distribution within a shipping-container or skidded building element. PR Newswire

• Modular coolant distribution units (CDUs) that support incremental load growth (e.g., up to 10 MW from one modular skid). LiquidStack

• High-ambient chiller and liquid-cooling modules designed for future expansion, enabling dense compute deployment without full facility rebuilds. Data Center Frontier

Why This Trend Is Gaining Momentum

• Speed to market: With modular systems one can deploy capacity faster, which is critical in competitive AI/compute markets.

• Lower risk: Incremental growth reduces initial CAPEX and allows capacity to match demand rather than forecasting years ahead.

• Operational flexibility: If compute loads or cooling demands change, modules can be relocated, repurposed or upgraded.

• Standardisation: Vendors are creating modular systems with standardised mechanical/electrical/thermal interfaces — enabling interoperability and reuse. For example, vendor announcements emphasise “pay-as-you-grow installation approach” for modular CDUs. LiquidStack+1

Implementation Example Highlights

• The company LiquidStack unveiled its GigaModular™ CDU — a skidded, modular coolant distribution unit capable of up to 10 MW of cooling capacity, allowing scalable growth and simplified deployment. LiquidStack

• Vendor Trane launched modular cooling platforms specifically engineered for AI-driven data-centre demands: scalable liquid platforms, high-ambient admit chillers, and custom fan‐coil solutions. Data Center Frontier

• Operator announcement: Vendor press release from Schneider Electric introduced prefabricated data-centre architectures with direct-to-chip liquid cooling built in, designed for increased size/weight support and rapid deployment. Schneider Electric

Benefits to Power & Cooling Infrastructure

• Cost efficiency: Modular systems often reduce onsite labour, enable factory test-out, and reduce commissioning risk.

• Scalable infrastructure: Cooling and power systems can grow with demand, avoiding over-building or under-utilisation.

• Future-proofing: Modules designed for high density compute, liquid-cooling and advanced power delivery can accommodate next-gen workloads.

• Reduced downtime/impact: Modular roll-outs allow adding cooling/power capacity with minimal disruption to existing infrastructure.

Challenges and Things to Watch

• Standardisation and interoperability: While modularity promises plug-and-play, it requires standard mechanical/electrical/thermal interfaces and vendor alignment.

• Site constraints: Some modules may still require local permitting, power feed, utility coordination, and coolant-loop integration which can limit “plug-in” promise.

• Thermal/power coordination: Scaling cooling and power in modules demands precise thermal modelling, especially with high-density racks; mis-sizing can lead to bottlenecks.

• Upgrade path and obsolescence: Modular systems must have upgrade paths (e.g., supports next-gen chip power densities, newer cooling technologies) or risk becoming obsolete.

• Logistics & transport: Modules are large and heavy; site access, crane capacity, shipping and installation still need coordination.

Strategic Implications for Operators

For data-centre operators, cloud providers and enterprise deployments, embracing modular scalable power & cooling solutions offers a path to rapid expansion without waiting years for a new build. It aligns with strategies of agile growth, demand-matching and sustainability. Vendors who supply modular blocks, standardised interfaces, and integrated power/cooling functionality will become strategic partners.

Closing Thoughts and Looking Forward

The modular-scalable model will continue to accelerate: • More “plug-and-play” cooling/power modules capable of dense AI racks. • “Pay-as-you-grow” capacity additions — one skid today, two next year. • Convergence of power, cooling and compute in standardised modules for edge, cloud and on-prem deployments. • Increased adoption of liquid-cooling modules that integrate seamlessly with modular power distribution and facility modules.

Serge Boudreaux – AI Hardware Technologies, Montreal, Quebec
Peter Jonathan Wilcheck – Co-Editor, Miami, Florida

References

1. “LiquidStack Unveils GigaModular™ Modular CDU | LiquidStack News”, LiquidStack. https://liquidstack.com/news/liquidstack-unveils-gigamodular-coolant-distribution-unit-the-industrys-first-scalable-modular-cdu-with-a-future-proof-platform-for-scaling-cooling-capacity LiquidStack

2. “Trane’s Thermal Management Overhaul: Modular Cooling Platforms for AI-Driven Data Centre Demands”, Data Center Frontier. https://www.datacenterfrontier.com/cooling/article/55298248/tranes-thermal-management-overhaul-modular-cooling-platforms-for-ai-driven-data-center-demands Data Center Frontier

3. “Schneider Electric Launches New Data Center Solutions to Meet Challenges of High-Density AI and Accelerated Compute Applications”, Schneider Electric Press Release. https://www.se.com/ww/en/about-us/newsroom/news/press-releases/schneider-electric-launches-new-data-center-solutions-to-meet-challenges-of-high-density-ai-and-accelerated-compute-applications-68432e8baaaf82b041044f06 Schneider Electric

4. “Green Data Center Industry Research 2025-2030: Lucrative Opportunities in Prefabricated Modules, Circular IT Asset Management, Sustainability Certifications, and Waste-Heat …”, Yahoo Finance / Industry Reports. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/green-data-center-industry-research-090700977.html Yahoo Finance

5. “Data centers take the plunge – Chemical & Engineering News”, C&EN. https://cen.acs.org/business/Data-centers-take-plunge/103/web/2025/08 Chemical & Engineering News