“ BECAUSE THE EDGE IS SO DIFFERENT TO A STANDARD BRICKS-AND-MORTAR COLOCATION FACILITY , A LOT OF THINGS CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO THE DESIGN PROCESS ”
EDGE CENTRES
Going Off-Grid One of the things that Eaves is most emphatic about is just how effective solar power can be at the edge . IT equipment in facilities at the edge is a lot less dense than “ in a traditional hyperscaler .” Rather than facility load being measured in megawatts , a modular edge container , like the ones being built by Edge Centres , have densities in the realm of 100-300 kilowatts . “ That means that the traditional ways of cooling and powering those facilities can be disrupted to suit our requirements , which is what led us to solar ,” Eaves explains .
“ BECAUSE THE EDGE IS SO DIFFERENT TO A STANDARD BRICKS-AND-MORTAR COLOCATION FACILITY , A LOT OF THINGS CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO THE DESIGN PROCESS ”
JON EAVES FOUNDER & CEO , EDGE CENTRES
Solar power , he continues , “ wasn ’ t our original play ,” but rather an invention born of necessity , as the saying goes . When Edge Centres acquired its land in Grafton , the greenfield site had never been connected to the national grid before and , when Eaves applied for utility power , his plans bumped up against a six month waiting period . “ Six months is just the way it is ; those are the rules for everyone ,” he reflects stoically . A six month waiting period isn ’ t a huge problem if you ’ re a hyperscaler ( or even a traditional colocation company ) that can only spin up one to two large data centres a year . Eaves ’ rollout plan for Edge Centres involves bringing a new batch of multiple data
26 October 2021