MODULAR DATA CENTER INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

The global modular data center market size is expected to grow from USD 13.9 billion in 2020 to USD 26.9 billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.70% during the forecast period.

Increasing internet penetration, the deployment of 5G, the impact of COVID-19, and the increasing popularity of the modular data center design offering easy scalability and shorter time-to-market are some factors that have boosted the modular data center market over the past few years, that is likely to grow significantly during the forecast period. In 2020, the global market witnessed strong growth in terms of functional modules being deployed by data center operators. The growing adoption of AI and ML workloads at the edge is another key factor increasing the demand for modular solutions across the globe. Some major modular data center providers include Huawei Technologies, Rittal, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv Group, among others.

Modular data center construction is going to become increasingly popular in data center deployment in the future years. These facilities can support a lower PUE and lower carbon emissions as compared to traditional brick and mortar facilities. Modularity has also brought about the development of rack-level UPS systems, typically of 2U and 3U configuration with a power capacity of up to 20 kVA at the rack level. The adoption of modular prefabricated infrastructure will increase energy efficiency and reduce data center space by up to 20% across the globe.

SNIPPETS

• In a modular data center, typically 65% of the cost goes into design and installation modules, including shipping costs, and the rest into core and shell development.
• An increase in demand for edge data centers, the requirement of cloud at the edge, and an increase in adoption of technology such as big data and IoT will continue to grow the modular data center investment from colocation, cloud, internet, and telecommunication providers.
• In April 2021, US-based Crusoe Energy announced it had raised USD 128 million in funding to deploy natural gas-powered modular data center facilities.
• Developing countries in regions such as Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, and Africa are expected to witness investments in modular data center facilities with a power capacity of around 1 MW.
• The data center market in Latin America has witnessed an increase in the deployment of modular facilities and will grow at a CAGR of 15.77% during the forecast period.
• Keppel Data Centres is developing a floating data center facility in Singapore, with prefabricated modules plugged into the floating structure. It is also exploring vertical data centers in Singapore.

In October 2020, American Tower announced the American Tower Edge Data Center initiative, wherein it deployed six edge data centers in its cell towers in Colorado, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Florida, and Texas.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKET:

• Increasing Deployment of Cloud at the Edge
• Innovative Data Center Technologies

Increasing Popularity of Modular Data Center Design

MODULAR DATA CENTER MARKET SEGMENTATION

This research report includes a detailed segmentation by

• Infrastructure
• Functional Module
• Geography

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

• Telecommunication service providers deploying a 5G network also need to deploy all-in-one small micro edge facilities to support their network demand.
• Enterprise segments are more likely to adopt All-In-One data center modules due to easier deployment, portability, and small size.
• Colocation service provider Green Mountain in Norway has deployed a Schneider Electric modular data center to expand its facilities.
• In terms of functional modules, the adoption of power and cooling modules is higher among data center operators adopting modular design.
• The increasing adoption of modular IT enclosures with increasing rack capacity has also increased the demand for more sensible IT space modules.
• The introduction of single-phase UPS powered by lithium-ion UPS systems will increase edge deployment, comprising one rack with integrated power infrastructure.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

The US is one of the largest countries in the global modular data center market. Governments in the US and Canada are taking several initiatives for the deployment of 5G network in these countries. Virginia, Nevada, Florida, Texas, California, Oregon, New York, Michigan, Arizona, Toronto, Montreal, and Illinois are some of the major markets for modular operations across North America. The continuous growth in the data centers is surging the demand for facilities in the region amongst various business verticals. In North America, edge colocation, 5G, and cloud computing are major contributors to the growth of the modular data center market share. These facilities are expected to increase in the region with land scarcity, such as New York, Washington, and Toronto.

In China and Hong Kong, modular data center demand will increase due to the increasing demand for cloud-based services, big data analytics, and IoT. In Japan, in May 2021, Edge Centers announced the deployment of two off-grid modular data centers in Kanto and Kyushu, in partnership with IT strategy firm Alan Kei Associates.

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

Almost all the vendors are offering modular UPS systems with a power capacity of up to 20 kVA for modular data centers. In addition, there are solutions provided by infrastructure vendors, such as prefabricated facilities, racks, and containment systems, to reduce the time needed to develop a new facility or create an additional data hall. ABB, Cisco Systems, Delta Power Solutions, Dell Technologies, Eaton, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Huawei Technologies are some of the key players in the market.

The modular data center market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry analysis with revenue and forecast insights for the following segments:

• Infrastructure
  • All-In-One Module
  • Functional Module
• Functional Module
  • IT Module
  • Power Module
  • Cooling Module
• Geography
  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Western Europe & Nordic Region
  • Central & Eastern Europe
  • Middle East
  • Africa
  • APAC
    • China & Hong Kong
    • Australia & New Zealand
    • India
    • Japan
    • Southeast Asia
    • Rest of APAC