FEATURE
Five priorities for scaling rack power safely
As AI accelerates infrastructure demands, operators should focus on five practical priorities:
1. Right-size before you redesign – Not every workload requires 100 – 150 kW racks. Assess utilisation and growth forecasts before committing to major architectural change.
2. Design for modularity – Open compute power shelves and scalable busbar systems allow incremental upgrades rather than full rip-andreplace projects.
3. Plan for physical constraints – High-density busbars can weigh 70 – 80 lb and are typically installed at the rear of cabinets where space is tight. Early engineering planning is critical.
4. Prioritise safety and compliance – High-voltage DC introduces new protection and operational considerations. Teams must be comfortable with both the technology and the associated safety frameworks.
5. Work with experienced partners – Transitioning to high-density AI infrastructure requires collaboration. Engaging with trusted advisors can reduce risk and accelerate deployment.
What practical steps or best practices can operators adopt today to scale high-density rack power safely and efficiently while maintaining flexibility for the future?
I ' ve been in the data centre space for many years and I ' ve never seen this much change. It ' s hard to keep up with let alone implement them all. The truth is; many of the regular applications are perfectly suitable for a typical operator. The demand for typical PDUs is still doing very well and the 100 A PDU is still providing a considerable amount of good value. Not everyone needs 100-150 kW. If you are monitoring and evaluating regularly and operations are smooth and successful there’ s no need for concern.
On the flip side if you need to change or upgrade innovation is constant. We ' re working on power shelves that will have an 18 kW supply. These will be 3U – much larger and bulkier. The busbars will continue to evolve as will these high-voltage
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