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Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
How to Plan a Meet-Me Room in a Data Center
A meet-me room is the secure interconnection point that lets carriers and tenants exchange traffic inside a data center. This guide explains how to plan one, what route diversity really means and what to lock before the shell closes.
June 28, 2026
Data Center Fire Suppression Systems: What to Specify Early
Data center fire suppression is a room-level design choice that affects code, insurance, downtime and handover. This piece breaks down what NFPA 75 and FM Global actually require and where clean agent, pre-action and hybrid systems fit.
June 28, 2026 ·4 min read
Data Center UPS and Battery Rooms: Layout and Safety Rules
UPS and battery rooms are regulated power spaces, not storage closets. This guide covers VRLA versus lithium-ion, room placement, ventilation, suppression and the code checkpoints that matter before plan review.
June 28, 2026 ·4 min read
Data Center Commissioning: The Level-by-Level Sequence Developers Need to Own
A practitioner guide to the five-level data center commissioning sequence (L1 through L5), covering what each level requires and where developer oversight actually matters. From factory acceptance testing through integrated systems testing, this post explains why developers cannot delegate commissioning decisions to the contractor or CxA.
June 27, 2026 ·5 min read
Data Center Waste Heat Recovery: What Developers Need to Know Before It Becomes a Requirement
A developer-focused guide to data center waste heat recovery and reuse. Covers EU regulatory requirements (EnEfG 10% ERF from July 2026), real commercial projects at scale (Meta Odense, Fortum Helsinki, Stockholm Data Parks), and the four site criteria that determine feasibility: proximity to heat demand, continuous local demand, cooling architecture temperature, and utility alignment.
June 27, 2026 ·5 min read
Dry Utilities for Data Centers: What Developers Need to Prepare Before Construction Starts
A practitioner guide to dry utility coordination for data center development. Covers electrical service coordination (load studies, utility service agreements, transformer placement), fiber and telecom redundancy, duct bank and handhole design, and the six most common developer oversights that cause schedule slippage and cost overruns.
June 27, 2026 ·5 min read
The Data Center Moratorium Wave Is Accelerating. Developers Need a New Site Screening Step.
Three new data center moratoriums passed in a single week in June 2026, bringing the total to 14 states with active restrictions. This post explains what is driving the acceleration -- power, water, and community opposition -- and what it means for developer site screening, entitlement timelines, and capital structure.
June 26, 2026 ·4 min read
Generator Sizing for AI Data Centers: What the New Math Looks Like
AI-era data centers require fundamentally different generator fleet sizing -- Amazon runs 93 generators at 2.5MW each for a single site. This post explains the current methodology: how to calculate fleet size, why transient AI loads matter, fuel logistics at scale, and the regulatory constraints (Illinois Tier 4, Virginia NOx) shaping procurement decisions in 2026.
June 26, 2026 ·5 min read
Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling for Data Centers: The Developer's Decision Guide
Direct-to-chip (DTC) single-phase liquid cooling accounts for 55% of the liquid cooling market and is the default specification for AI-era data centers in 2026. This guide explains when to choose DTC vs immersion cooling, how site criteria change, what the two-loop infrastructure requires, and the five specification mistakes that create operational problems later.
June 26, 2026 ·5 min read
Large Load Tariffs Are Now a Data Center Underwriting Variable
As of May 2026, 23 states have approved large load tariffs requiring data center developers to fund grid upgrades, sign long-term demand contracts, and post collateral. This post explains what AI can model, what requires expert judgment, and how to sequence tariff diligence before LOI.
June 25, 2026 ·5 min read