Data Center Dynamics has spotlighted Compass Datacenters in a new MarketWatch feature “Do it once do it right” highlighting how Compass and the Green Building Initiative are working together to make portfolio wide sustainability repeatable at scale.
The article features insights from our very own Amy Marks Senior Vice President of Innovation and Forest Halualani Lead for the Sustainability Program highlighting how a standardized campus model can deliver speed quality community impact and sustainability in one cohesive approach.
Building a 100 Year Campuses With Sustainability Built In
The piece explores how Compass uses a manufacturing inspired approach to data center development. Every campus starts from a prototypical blueprint that flexes to local codes climate and community needs while keeping a consistent foundation for:
- Faster time to market
- Predictable quality and performance
- Portfolio wide sustainability outcomes
This standardized approach also makes it easier for partners like the Green Building Initiative (GBI) to scale certifications and performance tracking across multiple regions rather than treating each site as a one off.
Amy notes that when teams design with a long term mindset the most sustainable choices often align with the best business decisions. Thinking in terms of 100 year campuses allows Compass to prioritize durability efficiency and community benefit from day one instead of treating sustainability as an afterthought.
Sustainability as Outcome Not Side Project
In the article Amy emphasizes that sustainability works best when it is woven into core decisions not bolted on as a separate program. When teams focus on:
- Readiness and efficiency
- Long lived buildings and equipment
- Smart tradeoffs that reduce waste and rework
they naturally unlock both economic value and environmental benefit. Buy once build right and replicate becomes the strategy.
Strong long term supply chain partnerships are a big part of this story. Rather than rebidding every project to the lowest cost provider Compass collaborates with a focused set of partners to co develop:
- Higher quality standardized components
- Less packaging and material waste
- Better safety and constructability
The result is lower lifecycle cost and a smaller carbon footprint across the entire campus portfolio.
Forest on Co Serve and Next Generation Campuses
Forest Halualani brings the grid and resilience lens into the conversation. As AI and high density compute increase power demands the article highlights how Compass is designing campuses that can act as grid partners not just grid takers.
Key themes from Forest’s perspective include
- Designing for future energy solutions such as on site generation and microgrids
- Avoiding water intensive cooling by using air and closed loop hybrid systems so sites can operate responsibly in water stressed regions
- Exploring a “co serve” model where campuses are built to support grid stability during periods of high demand
Rather than betting everything on a single emerging technology Compass focuses on readiness flexibility and collaboration with utilities and partners to shape the next generation of energy ecosystems.
A Roadmap for Portfolio Wide Impact
Together the GBI and Compass teams frame the work as a roadmap for the broader industry:
- Start with a standardized yet flexible campus model
- Integrate sustainability from the first decision not the last
- Build deep supply chain relationships instead of transactional bids
- Foster a culture of incremental improvement so small gains compound over time
- Think globally but execute with regional and community nuance
It is a vision where sustainability is a natural result of doing things right once and then scaling that model across a global portfolio.
Read the Full Article
You can read the full MarketWatch feature “Do it once do it right” on the Data Center Dynamics website to see more of Amy and Forest’s perspectives and how Compass and GBI are working together to raise the bar for data center sustainability.
