1 MW per rack: what it means for land
AI rack power density is rising from 130 kW to 1 MW. Three consequences for land requirements, auxiliary areas and waste heat.
A server rack for AI compute draws around 130 kW today. From 2027, 600 kW per rack has been announced, and 1 MW is in preparation. A hall of 10,000 m2 will then hold 100 to 150 MW.
For site selection this has three consequences. First, land required per megawatt falls; the rule of thumb of 1,000 m2 per MW holds for today’s densities and will trend towards 800 m2 per MW. Second, the share of the site taken up by the substation, storage, cooling and backup power rises. Third, liquid cooling becomes standard, which lifts waste heat to 45 to 55 °C and makes it easier to use in heat networks.
For municipalities this means: a 50 ha special-use zone can carry more capacity in five years than planned today; local land-use planning should think in terms of power, not just floor area.
Source: Nvidia roadmap 2026; EnEfG (Energy Efficiency Act).