10 Possibilities for the Data Center of the Future

With the exponential rise in data center demand and increasing requirements on the horizon, the fundamental issues of space and sustainability must be solved before data centers can effectively meet future needs.

Data Center Knowledge has been tracking developments in data center deployments in recent years – from wooden data centers to data centers on wheels, and even data centers on the moon. 

Check out our highlights of the most recent concepts and advancements in data center construction and deployment. 

1. Wooden Data Centers 

In November 2023, Vertiv launched TimberMod, a wooden data center solution. James Walker explains how this new concept aims to help organizations reduce their carbon footprint and meet their sustainability goals. 

Read more: Vertiv Launches Sustainable Wooden Data Center Solution 

TimberMod modular data centers are created using sustainably harvested wood. IMAGE: TimberMod

2. Underwater Data Centers

The deployment of Microsoft’s now-canceled Project Natick helped make underwater data centers more popular. However, many challenges come with such an approach. Christopher Tozzi explores whether underwater data centers can be a practical solution to space, cooling, and energy cost problems. 

Read more: Are Underwater Data Centers Truly Practical? 

Microsoft's Project Natick data center was attached to a ballast-filled triangular base for deployment 117 feet deep on the seafloor off the Orkney Islands in Scotland in 2018. IMAGE: Jonathan Banks

3. Flying Data Centers 

In 2023, researchers outlined a new system of floating IT facilities that can utilize the stratosphere for cooling. James Walker explains how these blimp-like facilities could one day solve the industry’s sustainability problems. 

Read more: Could Flying Data Centers Solve the Industry Sustainability Woes? 

4. Unmanned Data Centers 

Unmanned or “lights out” data centers are already here and could change the data center industry over the next decade. Christopher Tozzi explains how they work and why they’re valuable. 

Read more: What Is an Unmanned Data Center and Should You Use One? 

5. Wireless Data Centers 

Christopher Tozzi discusses the dream of wireless data centers, whether they have practical uses, and the pros and cons of these facilities. 

Read more: Are Wireless Data Centers Practical?

6. Nuclear-Powered Data Centers 

In this article, Wylie Wong discusses the intersection of data centers and nuclear power. Small nuclear reactors are often prefabricated units that can be transported and installed on-site and are more affordable and easier and faster to build than large reactors. Wong explains how with these advantages, small nuclear reactors may be a solution to data center energy demands. 

Read more: Going Nuclear: A Guide to SMRs and Nuclear-Powered Data Centers 

An artistic rendition of an Oklo small modular reactor facility. IMAGE: Oklo

7. Subterranean Data Centers 

Bluebird Underground is a state-of-the-art subterranean data center built in an inactive mine. In this article, Scott Stonham interviews

Todd Muren, general manager of Bluebird Underground, to discover how subterranean data centers can achieve more sustainable operations and lower carbon emissions. 

Read more: Operating a Data Center From a Subterranean Biosphere

The Bluebird Underground Data Center is located in a Springfield, Missouri underground mine. IMAGE: Bluebird Network

8. Hydrogen-Powered Data Centers 

Hydrogen power has long been considered a viable alternative to fossil fuels, despite its potential drawbacks. In this article, Steven Hill explains why it’s time to recognize hydrogen fuel as a way to drastically reduce the greenhouse gases associated with data centers. 

Read more: Will Hydrogen Fuel the Data Center of the Future? 

9. Data Centers on Wheels 

Could trailer-mounted power generation help with data center energy demands? Drew Robb looks at how these mobile power units could be a solution for facilities struggling with internal and external power limitations. 

Read more: How the Trailer-Mounted Power Generation Could Help Mitigate the Data Center Energy Problem 

10. Data Centers on the Moon 

In 2021, history was made when the first conventional data center was deployed in space. In this article, Maria Korolov considers whether space is the best place for data centers and discusses the costs and benefits of such an approach, and even whether data centers could be deployed on the moon. 

Read more: Space Is the Final Frontier for Data Centers