7:00 am Check-In & Networking
8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Resourcing for the Future
8:10 am Owner’s Panel: Understanding Owner & End-User Needs to Enable Project Partners to Deliver Results On-Time & On-Budget
Synopsis
- Unpacking end-user and owners’ motivations when selecting partners to build their data centers
- Benchmarking best practices for project team collaboration to enable owners to advocate for their teams’ needs when purchasing equipment
- Examining the owner’s influence on minimizing unpredictability and variability on cost and schedule
8:50 am Audience Breakout: Future-Proofing Infrastructure to Cater for Advancing Technologies & Prevent Obsolete Investments
Synopsis
- Maintaining agility by evaluating when a facility is no longer fit for purpose
- Investigating efficient strategies to replace outdated components with new ones
- Forecasting land, equipment yards and specific equipment that will be needed in the future to make strategic investments today.
10:00 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking
Track 1: Program & Resource Strategy
Managing Increased Power Loads
10:40 am Projecting Liquid Cooling Requirements to Remain Equipped for Rising Demands
Synopsis
- Understanding the impact of AI on rack densities and heat production
- Demystifying the timelines for liquid cooling: are the current rack density requirements sufficient to justify it?
- Investigating hybrid facilities that balance the use of legacy devices with the transition to widespread liquid cooling
11:20 am Case Study: From Theory to Reality: Implementing Non-Traditional Cooling Methods to Facilitate Increased Rack Densities
Synopsis
- Assessing the energy efficiency of liquid cooling compared to traditional HVAC systems
- Reviewing successful implementation of alternative cooling methods: what has been the most effective?
- Analyzing the piping and other infrastructure needed behindthe-scenes and their impact on facility layout
Track 2: Construction & Project Delivery
Effective Project Planning & Scheduling
10:40 am Implementing Achievable Schedules to Maintain Quality & Reduce Rework
Synopsis
- Aligning realistic project timelines with owner expectations
- Carving out time for QA/QC within project schedules
- Exploring innovative strategies for optimizing workflows and schedules
11:20 am Developing Strategies to Continue Construction Amidst Long & Unpredictable Lead Times
Synopsis
- Uncovering what’s behind specific equipment and vendor bottlenecks
- Providing advance notice to vendors, to enable them to allocate necessary resources to maintain flexibility
- Leveraging agile project and portfolio management methodologies
12:30 pm Lunch Break
1:30 pm Collaborating With Utility Providers to Secure Power for New Data Center Developments
Synopsis
- Fostering less transactional relationships with utility providers
- Developing strategic plans for power that consider the broader impact on the grid and community needs
- Navigating utility companies’ hesitation to supply power to a site without a committed development, despite this being a pre-requisite to commit
2:10 pm Exploring Alternative Self-Generation Solutions to Meet Short Term & Long Term Power Capacity Needs
Synopsis
- Analysing the benefits of self-generation solutions compared to relying on utilities
- Achieving higher uptime and greater power capacity at lower rates
- Outlining current and future technologies, including SMRs, fuel cells, natural gas and more
- Strategizing the selection, development and implementation of self-generation solutions on your own projects
2:50 pm Improving the Distribution of Natural Gas at Scale to Mitigate Utility Shortages
Synopsis
- Evaluating the environmental impact of natural gas compared to traditional diesel generators
- Overcoming logistical barriers in pipeline placement and highpressure gas availability for improved distribution
- Integrating back-up battery storage to mitigate the longer start-up times of natural gas
1:30 pm Case Study: Planning for Evolving Facility Requirements in Design to Avoid Delays in Construction
Synopsis
- Improving coordination between design and construction teams during preconstruction to manage incomplete or changing design documentation
- Considering and communicating changes in the cost of construction and installation resulting from design changes
- Incorporating constructability into design workflows to reduce burden on construction teams
2:10 pm Panel: Developing Robust Strategies to Minimize Faults & Incongruencies With Equipment
Synopsis
- Improving communication and accountability with equipment manufacturers representatives
- Scrutinizing owner and contractor submittal processes to reduce discrepancies with electrical equipment
- Considering alternative prequalification and third-party QA/ QC routes
2:50 pm Exploring Low Carbon Materials to Keep Up With Increasingly Stringent Regulatory Guidelines Effectively
Synopsis
- Conducting effective life cycle analysis for MEP systems and equipment
- Obtaining environmental product declaration from vendors
- Exploring the LCA’s impact on the construction of data center infrastructure
- Utilizing specifications to drive sustainable materials and construction practices
- Tracking sustainable practices in the construction phase utilizing specific toolsets
3:30 pm Afternoon Refreshments
Standardizing With Prefabrication
4:00 pm Case Study: Exploring How a ‘Kit of Parts’ Approach Will Reduce Resources, Waste & Labor
Synopsis
- Analyzing the true cost and time savings of prefab to secure company, owner, and project team buy-in
- Assessing the process from design through to manufacturing and installation
- Investigating modular generators, UPS, switch gear and cooling
- Evaluating lessons learned to ensure consistent outcomes on every project
4:40 pm Audience Breakout: Standardizing Prefabrication Across the Industry
Synopsis
Join this breakout to take a deep dive into the steps required to achieve industry standardization with prefabrication. Uncover the latest best practices in developing full architectural, electrical and mechanical assemblies to scale across multiple data center projects with differing specifications.