Tier III shell & core construction cost (US)High
Range $7M–$12M/MW depending on density and location
Utility power delivery time-to-serviceHigh
Range 3–5 years from application to energization; leading constraint for new campus sites
Tier IV construction cost premium over Tier IIIHigh
Typical Tier III construction timelineHigh
Range 18–24 months from permit to commissioning; power delivery often the critical path
Electrical systems as % of total DC CapExHigh
Includes HV/MV switchgear, UPS, generators, PDUs; increases with density
Mechanical/cooling systems as % of total DC CapExHigh
Higher for liquid cooling deployments; DLC builds can reach 32%
Civil & structural as % of total DC CapExHigh
Annual DC construction cost escalation rateHigh
Driven by electrical equipment lead times and specialist labor shortage
Modular/prefabricated DC cost per MWMed
Factory-built modules; 20–30% faster deployment vs stick-built
Hyperscale build cost per MW (owner-operated)Med
Scale advantage over retail colo; excludes IT infrastructure
Colocation retrofit/upgrade cost per MWMed
Highly variable; older buildings may require full electrical rebuild
Commissioning cost as % of total project CapExHigh
Soft costs (design, permits, PM) as % of total CapExHigh
Generator CapEx per kW (N+1 configuration)Med
Lead times stretched to 52–78 weeks for large diesel gensets
Prefabricated module adoption share of new buildsMed
Up from 18% in 2021; hyperscale adoption higher at ~55%
Transformer & switchgear equipment lead timeHigh
Up from ~26 weeks in 2020; primary schedule risk for new builds
GPU server delivery lead time (H100/B200)Med
H100: 36–52 weeks; B200 NVL72: 52+ weeks; spot market 12–16 weeks
Cooling system (CDU/chiller) lead timeMed
Air-cooling 16–24w; liquid CDU 28–40w; immersion 36–52w
HV cable & termination equipment lead timeMed
HV cable 40–56 weeks; specialist jointing crews booked 6–9 months ahead
Diesel generator lead time (>2 MW)Med
Range 52–78 weeks for large diesel gensets; demand up 140% YoY driven by AI buildout