The data center floor has become a critical constraint in supporting next-generation AI workloads. As AI workloads push rack densities beyond traditional data center thresholds and into high-density environments that can exceed 120 kW per rack, white space is no longer just real estate. Its design has become one of the most consequential infrastructure decisions an operator can make.
The white space, which houses racks, servers, and IT and networking equipment, is a strategic asset within the data center. Proper planning and design are essential to maximize installed capacity, enable incremental growth, improve operational efficiency, and support continuous operation in high-density environments.
To prepare the white space in line with business needs, multiple layers of infrastructure must be addressed in an integrated way, including:
- Racks and cabinets: Defined according to server types, support equipment, business requirements, and regional standards to help provide proper support and protection.
- Aisle containment systems: Improve energy efficiency and cooling capacity through intelligent, preassembled solutions designed to support high-density loads, such as Vertiv™ SmartRun, a prefabricated overhead IT infrastructure system that helps optimize space, reduce deployment times, and simplify infrastructure expansion.
- Power distribution: Busway systems, Remote Power Panels (RPPs), and rack Power Distribution Units (rPDUs) enable flexible and scalable power delivery within the white space. These solutions help simplify deployment through preassembled and modular architectures, enable power monitoring, and contribute to reliable operations in high-density environments.
- Thermal management: Maintains optimal thermal conditions across the full spectrum of IT loads, from air-cooled solutions such as the Vertiv™ Liebert® HPC chiller, Vertiv™ Liebert® AFC Inverter Screw Chiller, and Vertiv™ CoolPhase Condensers (MCS, MCM, MCL) for traditional environments to direct-to-chip liquid cooling and rear-door heat exchanger solutions for high-density AI and HPC workloads at the rack and chip level.
- Cable management: Reduces obstructions that affect airflow and maintenance tasks.
- Environmental monitoring: Provides real-time visibility into power supply, thermal conditions, and cooling performance. Solutions such as Vertiv™ Environet™ enable centralized monitoring and proactive management to help maximize uptime and operational efficiency.
Proper white space planning helps avoid issues such as overheating, inefficient energy use, and limitations on future scalability, all of which are critical factors in environments where rack density and availability requirements continue to increase. The adoption of 70 kW racks and racks above 100 kW is growing and is expected to become even more common by 2027., These higher densities create new challenges for critical infrastructure and white space operations: traditional air cooling approaches its practical limits at approximately 25–40 kW per rack, requiring a transition to liquid cooling technologies; power distribution systems designed for lower-density environments may need to be upgraded to handle concentrated electrical loads; and the physical infrastructure, including floor loading, rack dimensions, and cable pathways, may require significant modifications to accommodate denser configurations.
Importance of an Efficient White Space Design
Since white space represents the most significant portion of a data center’s energy consumption and heat generation, proper design plays a determining role in the overall performance of the facility. A structured approach helps to optimize space utilization, consider future expansions, and provide efficient and reliable power distribution aligned with critical loads. This can help extend the life of protected equipment through controlled temperature conditions and a more stable environment.
In addition, proper design can improve flexibility and scalability, allowing infrastructure to adapt to new technology demands without interrupting service continuity. The integration of thermal and electrical management can improve operational performance and contribute to reducing associated costs, while strengthening operational resilience by minimizing the risk of failures and interruptions.
Vertiv's professional services for white space design and deployment can help customers to realize long-term savings through more robust operations, faster commissioning, and reduced risks associated with unplanned outages.
Additionally, having a white space design led by specialized consulting and engineering firms such as Ingenium is essential to help make decisions in the early stages to meet near-term needs and enable planned growth to meet the accelerated evolution of IT loads. This makes it possible to support anticipated trends such as the shift toward ultra-high-density racks, the adoption of liquid cooling, and the integration of more complex energy architectures. A flexible white space strategy helps operators scale and modernize infrastructure over time without compromising availability or slowing the deployment of new digital services.
Download Vertiv's White Space Optimization Guide and get practical frameworks for designing high-density environments, managing thermal and power challenges, and scaling your infrastructure for AI workloads.
About Ingenium
This article was developed in collaboration with Ingenium, with the goal of providing guidance to data center operators to help them achieve their business objectives while optimizing their resources.
Ingenium, a leading data center consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm, has more than 17 years of experience as a strategic partner in the transition toward decarbonization, promoting high-impact environmental practices. It also supports companies in managing certifications such as CEEDA, LEED, and EDGE, among others. With a strong track record, Ingenium leverages Vertiv’s broad portfolio of power and cooling solutions to help its customers address critical digital infrastructure challenges in their data centers.
About the Author
Felipe Vasco
Felipe Vasco da Silva is the Director of Technology Applications for Latin America. With over 15 years of experience in technology, data center, and energy sectors, Felipe takes a consultative approach with the sales team, going beyond Vertiv solutions and creating value-added proposals that impact global data center management. In his role, Felipe is responsible for planning and strategic alignment of Vertiv LATAM technical sales. His main tasks include guiding the entire team of application engineers and product managers, enabling new sales, as well as evaluating and optimizing best practices for delivering the Vertiv portfolio.
