Data centers can be invisible, but they are everywhere. They’re behind every digital interaction, from instant messaging to AI-assisted surgery. Yet their performance is often reduced to a single unit of measurement: megawatts (MW). This oversimplification damages the data center industry’s reputation and obscures its true value.

The illusion of power

In the data center industry, energy capacity—expressed in megawatts (MW)—is often used as a key performance indicator. The higher a site’s energy capacity, the more servers and GPUs it can host, and the higher the demand it can meet. As this metric speaks to power and potential, it is used to attract investors and clients.

But megawatts don’t tell the whole story.

A high energy capacity doesn’t guarantee performance, efficiency or innovation. It also says nothing about a site’s resilience, safety or ability to evolve. Focusing on megawatts alone overlooks the real value of a data center: its ability to deliver reliable, intelligent services custom-built to meet future needs.

Through this lens, energy consumption has artificially become a symbol of success. Projects boasting energy capacities of 500 MW or 3.2 GW are impressive, but they also raise eyebrows. This emphasis on power contributes to negative perceptions of the industry as energy-hungry and unconcerned with efficiency, innovation or real value.

No other industry relies on this unit of measurement as a marker of progress and growth.

At WSP, we believe it’s time to rethink data center success. Here’s how we champion a more balanced approach:

• Designing for efficiency: We integrate energy-efficient practices and sustainable technology to reduce energy consumption and minimize carbon footprints, including advanced cooling and heat recovery technologies, intelligent energy management systems and high-performance materials.
• Promoting innovation: We encourage innovation and the integration of new technologies to improve service efficiency and quality.
• Thinking beyond energy: We assess data center performance in terms of reliability, security, service adaptability, client connections per second, and computing power per second.
• Raising awareness through education: We help demystify data centers with teaching initiatives in schools and within the industry.  

Some organizations, such as iMasons, are already exploring new performance indicators to help the public understand the infrastructure that makes their digital life possible.

Measuring the success of a data center solely in megawatts overlooks critical performance factors and can damage the market’s reputation. At WSP, we take a more holistic and balanced approach by designing data centers that combine power with intelligence and responsibility, prioritizing sustainable development and enhancing the industry’s reputation.