Accelerated Data Centers Delivery: Is Time Pressure Undermining Established Standards?

To secure a position in the rapidly growing AI market, operators must bring new capacity online now. The potential returns are enormous for those that deploy first, but so is the pressure. Projects that once took years are now being delivered in a fraction of the time. 

At the same time, this acceleration is putting established planning and standardization processes under increasing strain. During a Tech Talk webinar hosted by Janitza North America and featuring guest speaker Alvin Nguyen of Forrester in January 2026, Roshan Rajeev, Vice President of Engineering at Janitza North America, highlighted how this shift is reshaping expectations for quality, reliability, and long-term performance. 

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“Data centers have always tried to compress their project schedules.” said Rajeev. “However, that pressure has now intensified exponentially.” In some cases, time to commissioning is being reduced to one tenth of its previous duration. 

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The consequences are significant. “Specifications are being diluted or discarded altogether, with requirements removed. Standards that were originally designed to ensure quality and comparability are increasingly being sidelined.” Rajeev said. This development makes one thing clear: established data center standards are struggling to keep pace with rapidly changing market requirements and more aggressive timelines. 

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Janitza sees a clear risk that, if this trend continues, operational reliability, efficiency and long-term profitability may suffer. At the same time, the company emphasizes that targeted use of measurement technology, power quality monitoring and robust energy data can help operators maintain operational control, even when project schedules are compressed. 

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Rising Power Demand Intensifies Power Quality Challenges 

Rapidly growing requirements for electrical power supply in data centers are reinforcing this trend. Facilities are now operating at power densities around 160 kW per rack, with tangible implications for utilities and on-site infrastructure. 

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“We’re at a point where, at scale, it is not always clear how load fluctuations within the data center affect the utility grid.” At the same time, power quality has become an even greater concern. “The key driver for power quality issues is rising power demand, and above all the way in which that demand fluctuates. The dynamics of load requirements directly affect grid quality.” Rajeev stated. 

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This unpredictability presents new challenges for both data center operators and utilities regarding grid stability and power quality. Janitza positions precise energy measurement and power quality analysis as essential tools to understand these dynamics, ensure resilient operations and support strategic investment decisions. 

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Collaboration and Data Are Key 

Early collaboration between the various teams involved in data center projects is therefore becoming even more important. “It is often underestimated how crucial it is to establish a temporary network infrastructure at an early project stage.” Rajeev emphasised. Even under time pressure, this infrastructure enables teams to begin setting up and integrating systems at an early stage and to work with live data rather than assumptions. 

At the same time, the right level of transparency regarding the condition of the data center is critical for safe operation, asset lifetime and monetization of the technical infrastructure, particularly following tightly scheduled planning and commissioning phases. Janitza’s solutions focus on delivering high-quality measurement values and actionable transparency across the entire electrical system. 

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“Especially at scale, the availability of robust data is essential. High-quality and reliable measurement data form the basis for sound decision-making and support different business units within an organization.” Rajeev said.  

These insights into operational and performance data enable operators to monitor assets in a targeted manner and ensure long-term reliability. 

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Remote Control Increasingly Important 

Rajeev also explained that remote monitoring is becoming increasingly important. AI data centers are now frequently being built in remote locations. Comprehensive remote monitoring makes it possible to maintain operations without permanent on-site presence. 

“Not every incident requires immediate intervention on-site. Loads and services can be redistributed or prioritized where necessary, allowing operations to remain stable while corrective measures are planned and implemented.” Rajeev explained. Janitza supports this approach with solutions that provide detailed visibility into energy flows and power quality parameters from any location. 

With this combination of early collaboration, robust data and advanced remote monitoring, Janitza helps data center operators navigate shorter project cycles while protecting reliability, efficiency and compliance with relevant standards. 

Roshan Rajeev is Vice President of Engineering at Janitza North America and has ten years of experience in energy measurement technology. Alvin Nguyen is Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, specializing in infrastructure, outsourcing, and data center 

services and semiconductors. 

Key Facts 

• AI-driven demand is significantly accelerating data center project timelines 
• Commissioning periods are being drastically reduced in some cases 
• Established specifications and standards are increasingly being challenged 
• Power densities of 160 kW per rack are placing strain on electrical infrastructure 
• Fluctuating AI workloads intensify power quality and grid stability concerns 
• Early collaboration and temporary network infrastructure support faster system integration 
• Robust energy data is critical for operational reliability and business decision-making 
• Remote monitoring is essential for managing distributed AI data center locations 

Text: Joachim Bär