While power density per rack averaged 6 kW in 2006, it climbed to about 8 kW by 2012, and is expected to approach. 12 kW per rack by 2014, according to data collected by the Data Center Users Group, sponsored by VertivTM. The need now exists for taller, wider and deeper racks to accommodate the changes in IT equipment and densities.
Illustrative Annual Cost to Power One Data Center Rack (by Density, PUE, & Electricity Rate) This table shows how rack density, PUE, and location dramatically impact annual costs. An AI-capable 60 kW rack in a high-cost state could exceed $200,000 annually, underscoring the financial implications of high-density infrastructure.
It's important to note that 37 percent of data centers still have racks of less than 10kW. There are three key reasons why these data centers have not seen substantial increases in rack density. Server virtualization has been around for decades, and containerization has been used for several years.
As a result, data center rack densities are increasing. Rack density refers to the amount of power consumed by all of the IT equipment in the rack. For many years, rack densities averaged 2kW to 5kW. That's not the case anymore. According to AFCOM's 2024 State of the Data Center Report, average rack density now sits around 12 kW.
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