What the US data centre boom tells us about Australia’s next five years

In October, the Prime team spent three days at the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) conference in Las Vegas, one of the biggest gatherings in electrical contracting, and visited data centres across the US.

The US is around five years ahead of Australia in the data centre boom. A lot of what is standard practice there is arriving here now. Three things stood out.

Three disciplines, one coordinated install

The clearest signal was that electrical, communications and hydraulics are no longer separate scopes. Liquid-to-chip cooling puts power and plumbing in the same room, with tenant fibre running alongside.

That changes how the work has to be planned. The three disciplines need to be coordinated as one install, rather than handed between trades package by package.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Capture and approve a quote from Ryan/David on delivering power, cooling and fibre as one install, and what clients do not realise until mid-build.

Prefabrication is further along

More of the work is being built off site and installed as finished assemblies. Done well, prefabrication reduces site risk and makes delivery repeatable from one data hall to the next. It’s already part of how Prime works, with off-site assembly that supports quality, safety and programme certainty.

Tools and technology are moving fast

The change is happening on site and in the office: in the equipment crews use, and in how projects are planned, tracked and handed over.

What it means for Australia and New Zealand

This is work Prime delivers today, here in Australia. Seeing it at scale in the US confirmed the direction things are heading, and the pace at which they’ll arrive.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Capture and approve a quote from Ryan/David on where the Australian market is heading and what Prime is building towards.

Read more about our data centre work here.