Data centers reimagined

YEXIO is the foundation powering Yorizon.

Since 2020, YEXIO has been developing a new kind of data center - small, decentralized, and energy-efficient. HOCHTIEF Data Center Partner Managing Director Dr. Heribert Bodarwé looks back to the origins in the first part of this interview series and shows why proximity to customers translates 1:1 into performance.

With more than 27 years of experience at HOCHTIEF and projects around the world, Dr. Bodarwé combines technical expertise with innovative approaches to sustainable, decentralized data centers.

Mr. Bodarwé, how have your international experiences shaped your work?

During my time at HOCHTIEF, I worked in many countries - from Europe to Asia and North America. I was able to accompany projects through their entire lifecycle: from financing and planning to construction and operation. Especially in the United States, I learned how crucial data centers are for major infrastructure projects, whether for hospitals, police headquarters, or airport solutions such as the “People Mover" in Los Angeles.

These experiences showed me that data centers are much more than IT infrastructure. They are the fundamental engine of modern infrastructure and its operation.

How did the idea for YEXIO come about?

The roots of YEXIO lie in North America, and that was where everything was supposed to start. But the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in our plans. So in 2020, it was decided to first realize the model of a decentralized, energy-efficient, and sustainable data center in Germany and Europe. Our idea was to develop smaller, decentralized, scalable edge data centers with an IT capacity of around 2 MW. This approach makes it possible to get closer to customers and their applications, minimize latency times, and build “their" data center on site. That sets us apart from the large hyperscalers, which work in a centralized way and bundle large capacities at just a few locations.

Why is proximity to customers so important in data centers?

YEXIO data centers, as EDGE data centers, are regionally anchored and process data directly on site. This not only means faster transmission, but also greater reliability in the event of IT infrastructure failures: YEXIOs are interconnected and thus allow operational and geographic redundancy, i.e. increased security for data. For customers in public institutions and administrations, for example, this is crucial.

YEXIO relies on water cooling. Why is that so special?

Water cooling is significantly more efficient than air cooling when it comes to heat transfer. This means that the amount of energy used for air cooling is higher than for water cooling. Water cooling is therefore significantly more resource-efficient; we consume less electricity for YEXIO. Overall, we will thus reduce the so-called PUE value - a measure of the energy efficiency of data centers - to around 1.1; the industry average is just over 1.5. So we are clearly ahead of the market.

An additional advantage is that the waste heat absorbed in the water circuit at around 60° C from the IT can be usefully utilized, for example to heat buildings or swimming pools or even in food production. This integration into local energy systems is an important part of our sustainable YEXIO approach.

YEXIO was created from the idea of developing edge data centers sustainably and in a decentralized manner close to the customer and their needs.

-Dr. Heribert Bodarwé, HOCHTIEF

How has standardization helped make YEXIO more efficient and sustainable?

YEXIO is fundamentally based on a product approach. In contrast to many conventional data centers, at YEXIO we rely on a standardized, modular design in timber construction for the entire building. YEXIO is a digitally planned modular kit that can be quickly built again and again in different locations.

This approach not only saves time and costs, but also ensures that consistently high sustainability standards can be achieved for each data center. Only in this way can we meet the requirements of the “Blue Angel" certified by the German Environment Agency.

Which target groups benefit particularly from this approach?

Our concept is aimed at all customers who place high demands on sustainability, security, reliability, and rapid deployment and who value an on-site data center. These include public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and government offices, but also private companies and IT operators.