Faster, More Cost Effective, and Flexible: M+W Group Relies on Modular Construction for Data Centers

The global engineering and construction company M+W Group, headquartered in Stuttgart (Germany), has introduced an innovative concept for the construction of data centers. It is based on its own experience with numerous data center projects across the world. The concept called 'Delta Data Center' consists of three key elements:

-    Modular building structure with prefabricated elements
-    Modular cooling and electrical engineering concept  
-    Sustainable energy supply.

Installing prefabricated modules on site reduces the build time by up to 60 percent. This enables considerable cost savings, while improving work safety. In addition, room capacities can be extended more quickly than in the past thanks to the modular construction to enable flexible investment planning to meet requirements.

The tested quality of the prefabricated units means that the concept can also be used in countries and regions with a poorly developed infrastructure. Even upgrading of existing computing centers is possible because the nuisance caused by noise and dust are minimal compared with a conventional build.

The modular construction results in 70 to 80 percent of the assembly being carried out in a hall at the manufacturer. That reduces the dependency on extreme weather conditions, improves material planning and results in less waste. As the individual modules are stackable, it is possible to construct a 'data tower' over several floors and therefore adapt flexibly to the available plot.

Modular Building Technology

The building technology also has a modular structure, so that a phased expansion is possible without affecting the operation. Simply constructed, standardized, and independent units for cooling and the provision of electrotechnical services allow for optimal flexibility to adapt to requirements.

Energy-Efficient Cooling through Fan Tower

The buildings are cooled via an innovative technology adapted to data centers: the fan tower. Its principle results in a low loss of pressure on the air side, minimizing the power consumption of the circulating fans. At the same time, this cooling concept enables a modular construction over several floors: The fan tower is able to supply up to three server floors with recirculation air, mixed air, and/or pure outdoor air cooling. That saves building space and accordingly investment costs.

Only around seven percent of the cooling performance has to be supplied by refrigeration machines. Together with the recirculating air-system´s significantly reduced power consumption, an average PUE value (Power Usage Effectiveness) of 1.20 is achieved over a year at normal air temperatures. This figure puts energy consumed overall in the data center in proportion to the energy consumed by the servers and enables data center efficiency to be compared.

The energy efficiency can also be increased through the optional application of a fuel cell combined with an ORC module (ORC = Organic Rankine Cycle). The residual heat of the fuel cell is used to generate additional electrical energy with the help of the ORC module and to increase the overall effectiveness by over 50 percent. Electrical energy, heat, and water(steam) are produced in a fuel cell in a chemical reaction of oxygen and steam. The technology of the fuel cell is particularly important for climate and emission protection, as the fuel cells work virtually free of pollutants.