News & Insights
VIDEO: Optimizing aging data centers
Why this matters now
Building new data center capacity has become slower, costlier, and more constrained by power and water than it was just a few years ago. That has changed the value of the data centers already in service. Operators are looking hard at how to extract more capacity, reliability, and efficiency from aging facilities rather than depending entirely on new builds. Optimization has become a strategic capability, not a maintenance afterthought.
What leaders are weighing
Operators are weighing the cost and complexity of upgrades in live environments against the cost of underused capacity. They are deciding how to handle higher rack densities, cooling redesigns, electrical upgrades, and controls modernization without taking the facility offline. There are tradeoffs around redundancy, risk tolerance, and how to coordinate work with customer service levels. Engineering teams want clear plans. Operations teams want minimal disruption. Finance teams want defensible value. The right optimization strategy clears all three bars.
How Salas O’Brien is helping clients respond
Our data center team helps operators get more out of aging facilities through targeted upgrades, controls optimization, and careful retrofits. We bring mechanical, electrical, controls, and operations expertise together with the discipline that live data center work requires. We help leaders identify the most valuable moves, sequence them carefully, and execute with minimum disruption. Hear John Floren, Mike Lodge, Steven Massey, and Craig Petersen talk through what optimizing aging data centers looks like in practice.
John Floren, PE
John Floren is an expert in the design of complete power systems in critical environments where uninterrupted service to facilities is critical. With extensive expertise, he is leading engineering design for some of the most technically complex telecom and data center projects in the world. John serves as a Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Mike Lodge
With more than 35 years of experience in the building services industry, Mike Lodge has led commissioning, qualification, validation, project management, and field testing efforts across a wide range of facility types—including pharmaceutical, biotech, higher education, mission critical, healthcare, and industrial projects, both in the U.S. and internationally. He is committed to delivering fully operational facilities with compliant documentation, trained staff, optimized utility performance, and safe, comfortable environments.Mike serves as a Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected]
Steven Massey, PE
Steven Massey, PE, serves data center & telecomclients through new construction and renovation projects that require clear communication, strong coordination, and dependable follow-through. Steven is known for his calm leadership, practical problem-solving, and ability to help teams move efficiently through high-demand situations. He serves as a Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Craig Petersen, PE, P.Eng., ATD, CEM
Craig Petersen has over 25 years of experience in mechanical engineering focused on mission‑critical and data center facilities. He specializes in designing cooling systems that protect servers and networking equipment by efficiently removing heat and ensuring maximum uptime. Craig serves as a Principal and Lead Mechanical Engineer at Salas O’Brien.