Custom-Built Modular

When customers first ask about modular, they usually have the preconceived notion that modular means a prefabricated one-size-fits-all design.

Quite the contrary.  Our most recently competed project was a telecommunications module for a new PG&E Solar Plant in Huron, Calif. The module was specially designed by NxGen to retrieve and store critical performance data for the solar array and integrated protection relays and controls. Simply put, it does something that required a fresh design.

Though it was a tailor-made design by our team, the module had many of the same advantages of our other modular designs. It was designed, assembled and tested off-site so that we knew it was ready to go as soon as the other construction elements were ready. By working closely with the overall design and construction team, we were able to provide a working product on time. 

More info: News Release

Mission Critical Magazine: Nxgen Modular Designs Telecommunications Module For 20-MW Solar Project

To view the full article:
NxGen Modular Designs Telecommunications Module For 20-MW Solar Project | 2012-07-11 | Mission Critical Magazine

The Story Behind the Numbers

The special focus of this year’s Uptime Symposium – and presumably the topic foremost on the minds of 1,300+ attendees – was modular, pre-fabricated and containerized data centers.

With NxGen Modular data center projects nearing completion for major technology companies on both coasts, this area of emphasis is no surprise. We’re finding that as the demand for data center space grows, enterprises are looking for more efficient and cost effective ways to build their next generation critical facility.

About 76 percent of respondents to a Digital Realty Trust survey said they either had set data center expansion plans in motion or were considering expanding capacity in 2012. The Datacenter Dynamics Industry Census 2011, the largest ever data center community survey, estimates global investment in facilities will grow in excess of 16 percent to top $35 billion this year. By all accounts through the first half of this year, that number seems on target.

With so much new capacity being planned, it’s certainly telling that the Uptime Symposium would focus on modular. The 2012 Uptime Institute Data Center Industry Survey finds that 58 percent of 1,100 data center end users had either deployed, were planning to deploy, or were considering deploying a modular data center. Only 42 percent said modular wasn’t a factor in their short- and long-term planning. More survey results are available on the Uptime Website.

NxGen Modular hears from a lot of those end users who comprise the 58 percent that are embracing modular. Not surprisingly, most continue to consider reliability the most important factor and more and more are now realizing that modular solutions offer the level of reliability they need. What really seems to be tipping the scales, however, is a need for enterprise companies to be nimble in the face of rapid growth.

Developing a data center facility is a major investment for any enterprise, but uncertainty does not have to be an Achilles’ heel. Uncertainly is the reason why scalability should be a significant factor in data center architecture and design. It is also the reason why modular growth will remain commensurate with growing demand.

New NxGen White Paper: Fan-less Data Center Viability

Our new white paper is available now. We look forward to your feedback!
Fan-less Data Center Viability

NxGen Modular at the 2012 Uptime Symposium

I would like to invite everyone attending this year's Uptime Symposium to visit the NxGen Modular team at booth 126.

Also, don't miss our panel discussion -- Drivers & Barriers to Modular Data Center Deployment -- which will feature NxGen VP of Operations Bruce Baxter. The panel is Wednesday at 10:20 a.m. in Grand Ballroom B. 

It's not too late to register for the Symposium. Visit the Uptime Symposium website.

Modular will grow with demand for data center space

At this month’s Northern California Data Center Summit in Santa Clara, I was asked an interesting question while serving on a panel with data center real estate experts from Cushman & Wakefield, CoreSite and Avison Young.

The question: Where is the growth coming from in your segment of the industry? 

It occurs to me that modular is still seen as a separate segment of the industry. It certainly won't stay that way. As the demand for data center space grows, enterprises are looking for more efficient and cost effective ways to build their next generation critical facility. The role NxGen plays is made clear by two recent surveys:

• About 76% of respondents to a Digital Realty Trust survey said they either had set data center expansion plans in motion or were considering expanding capacity in 2012.

• NxGen’s own survey finds that all respondents expect their needs to grow and that 95% will consider going modular.

 As the need for data center space grows at a somewhat unpredictable pace, the scalability and speed-to-market offered by modular will become a clear means for quickly expanding supply. For those of you who haven’t already done so, please review our white paper, available at http://nxgenmodular.com/resources, which addresses the role modular will play in months to come.

The Top Modular ROI/TCO Questions

Our recent study – the Mission Critical Index – quantified much of the customer sentiment that we already hear in our daily conversations. While the index results focused mostly on scalability, they also underscored the fact that most of the questions we get from prospective customers are in the areas of “return on investment” and “total cost of ownership.”  If I had to pick the most common ROI/TCO questions, they would be: 

1. How fast can it be deployed?

2. What is the typical cost per critical kilowatt?

3. Would there be any supply chain issues if I pulled the trigger on a project, say, tomorrow?

4. How much do I save vs. doing a traditional build?

While the answers vary by project and client needs –our modular offerings are tailored to customer needs -- the answers always reflect favorably on modular when compared to traditional build.