Standardized data centers for greater sustainability

Modular, Efficient, Sustainable: How YEXIO Is Rethinking Data Centers

With YEXIO, a new kind of data centers emerged in Europe since 2020 – small, decentralized and energy-efficient. HOCHTIEF Managing Director Dr. Heribert Bodarwé looks in the second part of this interview series at the technological decisions behind YEXIO and shows how standardization and water cooling are shaping the future of data centers.

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, what makes YEXIO special as a decentralized data center?

The key difference from conventional hyperscalers lies in YEXIO's decentralized architecture. While large data centers bundle immense capacities at a few central locations, we rely on many smaller data centers at regional sites.

This approach makes it possible to be flexibly close to the customer and their applications. We build "their" data center on site.

How has standardization affected efficiency and sustainability?

Standardization is a decisive factor in YEXIO's success. We have developed a modular product concept that can be adapted to different locations and requirements without having to start from scratch every time.

This not only saves us time and costs during construction, but also ensures consistent quality at the high efficiency and sustainability standards. This includes both the use of building materials – the entire building is constructed from solid wood – and the optimization of energy and cooling technology.

Why does YEXIO consistently rely on water cooling?

Air cooling is still widely used in data centers, but in terms of today's environmental standards it is not always the first choice. Water cooling is significantly more efficient than air cooling at removing heat and therefore substantially more energy-efficient. Overall, this will reduce the so-called PUE value – a measure of the energy efficiency of data centers – to about 1.1, compared with an industry average of about 1.5. That is a considerable reduction.

An additional advantage is that we can meaningfully reuse this waste heat at a temperature level of 60 °C – for example for district heating systems or for heating public buildings.

Standardization and water cooling are two central levers that allow us to make YEXIO more efficient and sustainable than conventional data centers.

– Dr. Heribert Bodarwé, HOCHTIEF

What challenges does operating decentralized data centers bring?

YEXIO is a highly efficient data center that is implemented decentralized at many locations. That is why this approach requires thinking of YEXIO as a product and aligning all processes accordingly. That is new and requires a new way of thinking.

In addition, YEXIOs are operated in a network architecture, which requires secure and fail-safe networking. Data center availability is considered here on a different scale.

How do you see the future of the data center market?

I am convinced that decentralized edge solutions will continue to gain in importance. The increasing demands on latency, energy efficiency and sustainability require a rethink. Public administrations and companies will increasingly have to look for new alternatives – and that is exactly where YEXIO comes in: We offer a flexible, high-performance and environmentally friendly solution for the digital future.