Dallas-based Compass Datacenters and Schneider Electric have jointly engineered a prefabricated, modular solution for data center end-to-end space optimization. The “white space fit-out” will speed up construction in the red-hot sector, the companies said.

Dallas Innovates first told you about the companies’ partnership in 2023, when they announced plans to build a state-of-the-art integration facility in Red Oak to support the increasing demand for prefabricated modular data centers.

Schneider, a French company with U.S. headquarters in Boston, said the traditional design and approach to building out the power, cooling, and IT networking equipment for data centers has relied on multiple parties installing varied pieces of equipment, which has been “slow, inefficient, and prone to errors.” 

“Over the past 14 years, we’ve made huge strides in designing and building data center facilities in ways that are faster, better and more sustainable,” Compass CEO Chris Crosby said in a statement. “Principles like a standard kit of parts, off-site prefabrication and a tightly integrated supply chain have been gamechangers for facility construction. Now, we are applying those same principles to transform the white space fit-out process so that customers can plug in faster and more reliably than ever before.”

‘Setting a new benchmark for AI-ready data centers’

The Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Pod delivers all elements of “world-class data center white space” in a prefabricated pod solution that can be deployed quickly on-site with a simplified installation process, the companies said.

Built for flexibility, the solution accommodates hot aisle containment, InRow, and Rear Door Heat Exchanger cooling, while integrating complex cabling, high-power busway, and a technical water loop for liquid cooling. Delivered in a prefabricated modular pod, it streamlines deployment, minimizes risk, and simplifies both installation and long-term operation, Schneider said.

The solution is based on the same engineering principles that Compass and Schneider Electric have already used to deliver dramatic increases in efficiency, speed-to-readiness, and sustainability for other aspects of data center infrastructure and construction, the companies added.

The partners say the new prefabricated pod architecture could deliver notable capital expenditure savings compared to traditional processes while also enabling data center operators to begin revenue generation from their new facilities.

“Trust and collaboration with partners like Compass are the foundation for innovation that moves faster, scales smarter, and delivers resilient, sustainable infrastructure,” Aamir Paul, president of North America operations at Schneider, said in a statement. “With EcoStruxure Pod, we’re removing bottlenecks and setting a new benchmark for AI-ready data centers—delivering the speed, resilience, and sustainability our customers need to unlock value and lead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

Key features of the pods

Schneider said that with power, cooling, and built-in support for customer IT infrastructure in one ready-to-install unit, this modular solution moves away from cumbersome, custom designs toward more scalable, ready-to-deploy white space environments. Per the company, the environments:

• Integrate with customers’ existing infrastructure, using modular, factory-tested components that ensure consistent quality and enable fast, seamless installation while enhancing data center resiliency, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Minimize on-site labor and delays by reducing installation errors, leading to a shorter punch list and fewer field touch-ups.
• Simplify the overall data center build, reducing upfront fit-out costs and CapEx savings through a reduction in manpower, accuracy of installation, and elimination of costly raised floors or ceiling grid systems as the Pod supports all network, power, and cooling infrastructure.
• Enable customers to construct in parallel with the development of the white space. This concurrent approach significantly accelerates deployment and shortens schedules once both components are complete.

Schneider Electric said it has begun manufacturing the Prefabricated Modular EcoStruxure Pods for customers. The first units will be deployed at a Compass Datacenters campus later this fall.

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