Topic 10 of 13 · 12 guides
Decisions and trade-offs
Side-by-side comparisons for the choices that shape a site strategy.
Start here
- Buy, Option or Lease: How Developers Secure Data Center Land9 min read →
- Phased vs. Full Build-Out: How to Stage a Data Center Campus10 min read →
- New Site or Expand an Existing Campus? How to Decide9 min read →
Every guide in this topic
- Grid Power vs. On-Site Generation: How to DecideHow to choose between utility grid service and on-site generation for a data center, comparing timing, cost exposure, reliability, permits, fuel and land.11 min →
- One Large Data Center Campus vs. Several Smaller SitesHow to choose between one large data center campus and several smaller sites: power, cost, concentration risk, network design, entitlement and timing.10 min →
- Near the Metro or Near the Power? Choosing a Data Center LocationHow to weigh a data center site near a metro market against a remote site with abundant power: latency, fiber, labor, land, entitlement, water and timing.9 min →
- Build, Lease or Colocate? How to Source Data Center CapacityBuild vs. lease data center capacity: how self-build, build-to-suit, wholesale and retail colocation and cloud compare on cost, speed, control and risk.10 min →
- Regulated Utility vs. Competitive Market Sites for Data CentersRegulated utility vs. competitive market sites for data centers: how vertically integrated states, ERCOT and PJM retail choice compare on power, cost and risk.9 min →
- Rural vs. Suburban Data Center Sites: Land, Power, Labor and Local PoliticsRural vs. suburban data center sites compared on land cost, power, construction labor, fiber and community acceptance, with recent prices, cases and checks.10 min →
- Tax Incentives vs. Power Costs: Which Matters More for a Data Center Site?Tax incentives vs. power costs for data center sites: lifetime cost math, an illustrative 15-year comparison, and when a sales tax exemption outweighs rates.9 min →
- Utility-Owned vs. Customer-Owned Substations for Data CentersUtility-owned vs. customer-owned substations for data centers: how cost, tariffs, schedule, control, maintenance and NERC compliance differ, and how to choose.8 min →
- Converting a Warehouse or Factory to a Data Center vs. Building NewRetrofit vs. new build for data centers: how floor loading, clear height, power, codes and yard space decide whether a warehouse or factory can be converted.8 min →
Every topic
- Power & interconnection35 guides
- Land & site fundamentals23 guides
- Water, gas & fiber18 guides
- Environmental & physical risk21 guides
- Zoning, permitting & community20 guides
- Feasibility, diligence & deals18 guides
- Site strategy by data center type11 guides
- Campus design & construction11 guides
- Markets & economics11 guides
- Decisions and trade-offs12 guides
- Grid regions9 guides
- Site selection by state39 guides
- Guides by role12 guides
Or search all 240 on the guides page.