Data Center Market and Power Intelligence

Start with the market, then investigate the operator, project and equipment requirement. Use this hub to navigate SecondWatt’s data center research and prepare questions for your project team or sourcing partner.

For procurement teams and EPCs, the next step is to define the equipment duty and package scope. For equipment owners and sourcing partners, it is to document the model, condition and scope of the equipment being offered.

Choose a data center market

Use the market page as a starting point. Follow the source attached to a figure before applying it to a buying decision.

Read the date, scope and measurement

Before comparing market observations, check:

  • Coverage: which geography and facility population does the publisher include? Preserve distinctions such as wholesale versus total market.
  • Reporting period: when was the activity measured, or when was the snapshot taken? Keep that separate from the report’s publication date and the date you read it.
  • Measurement: distinguish existing inventory, capacity under construction, planned development and leasing activity. Check the publisher’s definition of each measure.
  • Power basis: identify whether an MW figure describes IT load, utility supply, generation or a campus plan. Do not combine figures with different bases or overlapping project phases.

For example, CBRE’s North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 reports inventory and capacity under construction separately. Preserve that distinction when using the report.

For a particular site, ask the project team to confirm the utility service plan, delivery milestones and electrical requirements. Leave unanswered questions open until the relevant documents are available; do not fill them with a regional average.

Research the operator and project

Open the Equinix profile for operator research. When reading a company disclosure, identify the named site, technology and date before applying it to a different facility.

Use Shadow Grid for project research. Check which phase the underlying disclosure describes, the role of generation or utility supply, and whether the statement concerns a plan, construction, operation or a trial. Confirm any later change before treating a dated statement as current status.

Keep a separate record of what you know about a specific equipment opportunity. Ask for evidence of availability and authority to offer the equipment before treating a project announcement as a sourcing lead.

Prepare an equipment requirement or offer

The following checklists are a starting point for a procurement discussion. Have the responsible engineering and commercial teams confirm the final scope.

For buyers and EPCs, document:

  • Intended duty, required output and operating conditions.
  • Voltage, frequency and the interfaces the project team must review.
  • Package inclusions, exclusions and supporting documentation required for evaluation.
  • Destination, required delivery milestones, inspection and acceptance requirements.
  • The person responsible for confirming site suitability and the service plan.

For equipment owners and sourcing partners, assemble:

  • Manufacturer, model and configuration, supported by equipment records.
  • Condition, operating history, maintenance records and available inspection evidence.
  • Included components and documents, with missing items identified.
  • Authority to offer the equipment and the proposed release, removal and delivery arrangements.

Share identifying equipment records and commercial terms through the private inquiry process.

Explore equipment models

Continue to the equipment directory to research a model and prepare your buying or selling inquiry. SecondWatt publishes equipment research and facilitates introductions; it holds no inventory. A model dossier does not establish that an individual unit is available.

Continue your research

Browse articles and procurement reports, or read the research methodology. Keep the source and reporting period with any observation you take into a project brief.