Deerns’ new Total Cost of Ownership Tool is the first of its kind which will transforms data centre planning with precise cost forecasting and key insights.
In a world increasingly driven by digital infrastructure, making informed decisions about data centre investments has never been more critical. At Deerns, we understand the complexity and cost sensitivity of building and operating these facilities.
" We are developing a powerful new tool that provides unprecedented clarity on the complexities of building and operating data centres: our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Tool.
It’s not just a data repository – it’s a decision making engine. Our new TCO Tool will offer a smarter, more user friendly and visually compelling experience.
Conventionally, the market relies on outdated tools to track and forecast costs for data centre projects worldwide which lack the efficiency and professionalism demanded by today’s fast-paced market.
4 main features of the TCO Tool
For data centre operators, real estate developers and equipment manufacturers, the TCO Tool offers:
- Forecasting of operational expenditure over time
- Benchmarking of equipment and technologies across vendors
- Scenario modelling to compare cooling solutions and energy strategies
- Real time updates incorporating geopolitical and market shifts
By inputting project specific or manufacturer supplied data, users can see how changes in technology, configuration or geography affect the cost profile of an asset over 5, 10 or even 20 years.
3 main users of the TCO tool
The tool is equally useful for different actors in the data centre ecosystem:
- Data centre owners can evaluate retrofits and new builds, identifying cost saving upgrades or power efficiency enhancements.
- Manufacturers receive performance-based insights, helping them benchmark against competitors and improve their products.
- Developers and investors gain a clearer picture of long-term returns, crucial in today’s volatile energy and construction markets.
From Simulation to Strategy: TCO Tool in Action
We have already deployed the TCO Tool in real world scenarios. For instance, by supporting an emerging business in immersion cooling business to demonstrate the economic advantages of their solution over conventional air cooling and direct-to-chip technologies. The transparent, independent insights shaped marketing and investment decisions.
" The tool created modelling scenarios over multi decade timelines in challenging locations across Europe and America reinforcing our role as both technical consultant and market enabler.
The tool is especially valuable in markets constrained by limited grid availability, where new builds may be delayed or even blocked due to a lack of accessible power. Through careful modelling and simulation, the TCO Tool reveals how legacy assets can become modernised, energy efficient hubs of IT productivity. Instead of being forced into costly expansions or regulatory processes, data centre operators can now turn to their existing sites.
Where grid saturation hinders the construction of new data centres, the TCO Tool plays a transformative role. By analysing the performance and energy consumption of existing, often outdated facilities, it helps identify efficiency gains through strategic upgrades. This includes upgrading cooling systems, optimising airflow management, improving power distribution and replacing inefficient equipment. These improvements not only reduce energy costs – they also unlock additional IT load capacity within the same power envelope.
Designed for Complexity, Made for Clarity
The tool’s strength lies in its adaptability to provide either high level or granular insights to clients and manufacturers.
The TCO Tool can accommodate the robust and ongoing nature of maintenance. It is updated with anonymised data from current projects and manufacturers, ensuring relevance and accuracy amid shifting tariffs and market conditions. This is enormously valuable in giving insight grounded in real world application and experience.
Financial Implications
The financial implications are significant. Depending on the location, equipment and cooling configuration, the TCO Tool can project power savings that translate into millions of Euros over a typical lifecycle. These insights are made actionable with clear, quantifiable outputs – helping decision makers weigh upfront investment against long term savings and environmental impact. The result is more precise budgeting and improving competitiveness; all the while in compliance with ESG goals.
" By making these complex trade-offs visible and measurable, clients can make smarter infrastructure decisions that optimise existing capacity, reduce waste and increase return on investment.
A Tool with Expanding Potential
While initially developed for data centres, the TCO Tool’s framework is scalable. Its principles can extend to airports, real estate developments and life sciences – in fact, any project where resource efficiency and cost forecasting are vital. For example it factors in water usage, a critical variable for cooling strategies and sustainability metrics.
What sets this tool apart is not just the software – it’s the knowledge behind it. Deerns’ multidisciplinary team draws on decades of global project experience. The insights embedded in the TCO Tool reflect hard won lessons from diverse geographies and technologies.
As we continue refining and expanding this tool, our goal is simple: to empower clients and the market with data driven decisions that reduce risk, improve efficiency and create long term value.
Related thoughts
