In Part 1 of our deep dive into data centre design, we explored the core design principles shaping next-generation data centres, from layout optimisation and modularity to resilience and sustainability.
Building on this foundation, the next step is translating these principles into the systems that power and operate the facility. This includes energy, cooling, water management and infrastructure strategies that enable high performance at scale.
Energy-efficient power, cooling and lighting
Power usage effectiveness (PUE) is a key metric for data centre efficiency. It’s a ratio of total facility energy to the energy used by IT equipment. An efficient facility sees most of its energy use come from IT; a PUE of 1.4 is a common objective.Achieving a PUE below 1.4 requires innovation beyond traditional air cooling and refrigeration-based systems operating at legacy setpoints. While hot- and cold-aisle containment remains a baseline, the rapid rise of AI-driven heat densities is forcing a shift toward hybrid cooling and liquid-to-the-rack solutions.
That said, the biggest unlocked energy win is not a new technology - it’s convincing developers and operators to run hotter. Operating cold aisles closer to ~30 °C dramatically reduces cooling energy, widens economisation windows, and supports more innovative, less energy-intensive cooling strategies. In cooler APAC regions such as southern Australia and New Zealand, Beca leverages these higher operating temperatures to maximise “free cooling” opportunities and minimise mechanical energy draw, while still maintaining safe and resilient IT performance.
Water management and sustainable usage
Water usage cannot be overlooked. With some urban data centres drawing water equivalent to hundreds of thousands of residents, regulatory and public scrutiny is intensifying. By closing the loop (using water-side economisers, rainwater harvesting and on-site recycling) it’s possible to achieve a good water usage effectiveness (WUE) metric.However, efficiency isn't one-size-fits-all. Beca helps clients navigate the trade-offs between water-intensive adiabatic cooling and high WUE but energy-intensive dry cooling. By conducting site-specific water risk assessments, we can help implement cooling strategies that are resilient to local drought conditions and utility constraints. The goal is a co-optimised system where energy gains don't sacrifice local water security, turning a potential utility risk into a sustainable asset.
Scalable and modular design approaches
Perhaps the most incredible challenge of 2026 is building for hardware that doesn’t yet exist. Modular construction will be key to this challenge. By utilising prefabricated MEP skids and plantrooms that allow for rapid, plug-and-play deployment, it’s possible to create a future-ready shell with dedicated pathways for future liquid-to-chip piping and higher-capacity busways.By integrating building information modelling (BIM) and Digital Twins early, Beca can model airflow and power performance over a 10-year period, identifying potential clashes before they occur. This modularity can mean that, as AI density grows, a facility can adapt without a complete structural overhaul.
Resilience planning: UPS, backup power and redundancy
In the APAC region, resilience is often structural as much as it is electrical. Beyond the standard N+1 or 2N UPS architectures, Beca can provide seismic engineering. In high-risk zones such as New Zealand and Indonesia, the risk isn't just the building's shell; it's the non-structural MEP elements.We design specialised seismic restraints for heavy switchgear and cooling loops to prevent a tremor resulting in an outage. Combined with robust load-flow studies and fault-level assessments for grid connections, we can help maximise a facility’s reliability. From managing long-duration outages with low-emission backup generators to integrating on-site microgrids, Beca helps protect mission-critical data against both digital and geological shocks.
Integrating renewable energy and decarbonisation
Decarbonisation in 2026 is moving beyond power purchase agreements (PPAs). Embodied carbon tracking is increasingly a prerequisite to sustainability claims. Beca works with developers to select lower-carbon structural materials and MEP systems, applying principles that support a circular lifecycle.On-site, we look for synergies, such as heat recovery systems, that can capture thermal energy from the server floor to provide heating for neighbouring facilities or district networks. This turns a facility from a simple consumer of resources to a producer for the local community. And, by integrating on-site solar installations and battery energy storage systems, we can help facilities smooth out grid volatility, ensuring that "green" and "reliable" are no longer mutually exclusive.
AI and high-performance computing requirements
AI servers draw significantly more power than traditional ones, three to five times as much. This can create localised thermal spikes that traditional air cooling can’t handle effectively. This challenge requires a deeper level of collaboration between developers and OEMs, who must work together and plan carefully so the cooling design is up to the significant thermal challenge that AI servers pose.It’s also necessary to factor high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects into the spatial layout to support intra-DC fabric: a high-speed, scalable and resilient network infrastructure that connects servers, storage, and networking hardware within a single facility. At Beca, we help our clients move from general compute layouts to high-performance architectures that can handle the massive, data-heavy workloads of the machine learning era.
Designing for tomorrow’s demands
Modern data centre design hinges on getting the fundamentals right: energy efficiency, water stewardship, modular growth, resilience and AI-ready infrastructure.
By working with Beca, you can benefit from our:
- Multidisciplinary capability to solve complex, interconnected design challenges.
- Proven experience delivering efficient, resilient and low-carbon data centres across the APAC region.
- Practical pathways to integrate renewables, advanced cooling and future-ready layouts.
- End-to-end support across the full lifecycle — from site strategy and design, to commissioning and optimisation.
- Protective security expertise, including design advisory and assurance. We are New Zealand government appointed data centre security auditors and have worked alongside the Australian Department of Homes Affairs to develop and pilot the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act compliance framework.
- Capability in reviewing and upgrading existing or constrained facilities, including refurbishments, expansions, and retrofits
Want to learn more? Get in touch to discuss upcoming data centre projects or feasibility studies.
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