Relocating your data center should not be a “lift and shift” exercise but should be viewed as a strategic opportunity to reset and optimize your IT infrastructure.
Making the transition to a new data center demands careful planning, significant investment, and the challenge of balancing continuity with improvement. One of the biggest advantages of a smart relocation is the chance to rethink energy efficiency fundamentals – power, cooling, and cabling.
Instead of just moving existing equipment from Point A to Point B, organizations can use relocation as a transformative moment to improve energy efficiency, reducing operating costs, and future-proof operations.
“One thing is certain: The stakes are high. Overinvesting in data center infrastructure risks stranding assets, while underinvesting means falling behind,” says McKinsey & Company, which forecasts a $7 trillion race to scale data centers by 2030 to keep pace with the demand for compute power.
The digital economy rewards organizations that run smarter, leaner, and greener. A purposeful relocation reframes the data center as more than just overhead—it becomes a lever to cut costs, strengthen resilience, and position the business for tomorrow’s demands.
Why Relocation Is an Opportunity for Efficiency
Most data centers were built to meet the needs of their time, often layering upgrades onto legacy systems. This patchwork approach leads to inefficiencies—overcooled spaces, stranded power, underutilized racks, and tangled cabling that complicates airflow.
Relocating provides a “clean slate” moment. Facilities teams can re-evaluate:
- Cooling design: Matching airflow and thermal management to actual IT loads.
- Power distribution: Aligning redundancy with efficiency, rather than oversizing by default.
- Cabling architecture: Reducing clutter, improving airflow, and preparing for higher-density connections.
Done correctly, relocation is not just about moving assets—it’s about building an infrastructure designed for the next decade of growth and sustainability.
Rethinking Cooling Strategies
Cooling consumes roughly 30–40 percent of a typical data center’s total energy use. During relocation, reevaluating cooling design can deliver some of the most dramatic efficiency gains.
Key Approaches:
- Hot aisle/cold aisle containment: Ensures cold air is directed to IT intakes and hot air is efficiently exhausted, reducing wasted cooling.
- Liquid cooling readiness: Even if not immediately deployed, preparing for high-density rack liquid cooling supports future workloads like AI clusters.
- Variable speed fans and economizers: These adapt to IT load and outside conditions, cutting unnecessary energy use.
Example: A relocation to a facility in a cooler climate zone might allow a shift to free-air cooling, dramatically lowering annual energy costs and improving PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness).
Power Infrastructure: Right-Sizing for Today and Tomorrow
Older facilities often have oversized uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and redundant systems that sit underutilized, quietly wasting electricity. Relocation is the time to right-size.
Considerations:
- Modular UPS systems: Scale capacity as IT loads grow, avoiding overprovisioning.
- High-efficiency power distribution units (PDUs): Reduce conversion losses and enable remote monitoring.
- Integration with renewable energy: Many new colocation providers or self-built facilities now offer on-site solar or contracts for renewable power.
A smarter approach to power doesn’t just reduce waste—it aligns with corporate sustainability goals and positions the organization for compliance with tightening energy standards.
Cabling: Small Changes, Big Impact
Cabling may seem like a minor detail compared to cooling and power, but it plays a surprisingly large role in efficiency and scalability.
- Airflow management: Poorly routed or excessive cabling can obstruct airflow, forcing cooling systems to work harder.
- Pre-terminated solutions: Factory-tested assemblies reduce installation errors, speed deployment, and deliver consistent performance.
- High-density fiber: MPO and structured cabling systems enable higher bandwidth while minimizing footprint and energy demands on switching.
Relocating with modern cabling not only improves efficiency—it builds the foundation for scalable growth, from 400G backbones today to 800G and beyond.
Designing With Metrics in Mind: PUE and Beyond
When discussing energy efficiency, PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) is the most widely used metric. But relocation is the perfect time to expand the measurement framework.
- PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness): Ratio of total facility energy to IT energy. Lower numbers mean greater efficiency.
- CUE (Carbon Usage Effectiveness): Links energy use to carbon emissions, reflecting the environmental footprint.
- WUE (Water Usage Effectiveness): Tracks cooling water consumption, increasingly important in water-stressed regions.
By incorporating these metrics into relocation planning, data center managers can set measurable goals and demonstrate improvements that matter to executives and stakeholders alike.
Summary Table: Efficiency Opportunities During Relocation
| Area | Key Actions | Benefits |
| Cooling | Hot/cold aisle containment, liquid cooling readiness, variable speed fans | Lower PUE, reduced energy waste, support high-density racks |
| Power | Modular UPS, efficient PDUs, renewable integration | Right-sizing capacity, cutting costs, meeting sustainability goals |
| Cabling | Pre-terminated assemblies, structured fiber, high-density MPO | Faster deployment, improved airflow, scalable to 800G+ |
| Metrics | Track PUE, CUE, WUE | Quantifiable targets, transparent reporting |
| Future-Proofing | AI/HPC readiness, automation, compliance alignment | Adaptability, longevity, reduced retrofit costs |
Future-Proofing the Facility
Technology roadmaps evolve quickly. Relocation provides an opportunity to anticipate future requirements, avoiding costly retrofits.
Areas to Future-Proof:
- AI and HPC readiness: Densities are increasing, and workloads like machine learning demand higher rack power densities and liquid cooling options.
- Sustainability compliance: Governments and customers alike are setting stricter environmental targets. Preparing for renewable integration, low-emission materials, and efficient systems now prevents future headaches.
- Automation and monitoring: Intelligent building management systems (BMS) and DCIM platforms enable real-time efficiency monitoring, predictive maintenance, and smarter capacity planning.
The result? A facility that isn’t just efficient today, but adaptable to tomorrow’s challenges.
Cost Savings and Business Impact
Improving energy efficiency is not only an environmental imperative, but also a financial one.
- Lower operating expenses: Energy often accounts for 40 percent or more of total data center operating costs. Cutting consumption translates directly to savings.
- Reduced downtime risk: Efficient infrastructure tends to be more reliable, reducing business interruptions.
- Improved reputation: Sustainability commitments resonate with customers, partners, and investors, enhancing competitive positioning.
According to industry data, companies that invest in data center modernization and consolidation projects can expect energy savings of 20–40 percent, with ROI achieved in as little as three years.
Best Practices for Relocating with Purpose
Relocation projects are complex, but applying structured best practices ensures efficiency goals remain central.
- Audit before you move. Understand existing inefficiencies and benchmark current PUE, CUE, and WUE.
- Set measurable targets. Define the efficiency improvements expected post-relocation.
- Engage partners early. Work with experienced cabling, cooling, and power specialists who design for efficiency.
- Prioritize modularity. Build flexibility into systems to handle future growth without overspending today.
- Test and validate. Commissioning should include efficiency validation to confirm goals are met.
The Hexatronic Advantage
Relocation is more than logistics—it’s a chance to build smarter, greener infrastructure. Hexatronic specializes in structured cabling, pre-terminated systems, and fiber infrastructure designed for today’s speed and tomorrow’s growth. By combining technical expertise and sustainability, we turn relocation into a catalyst for long-term efficiency and resilience.
The process isn’t simple, but with Hexatronic as your partner, you can achieve measurable efficiency gains, cut operating costs, and set the standard for digital growth.
Ready to unlock business impact from your next move? Contact Hexatronic Data Center to start planning a smarter, greener relocation today.
