The Future of Legacy Data Centres: 3 Critical Challenges We Must Solve

Legacy data centres are under pressure but also full of promise. This blog unpacks the three biggest forces reshaping the industry: the sustainability dilemma, the looming power crunch, and the talent shortage. You'll get expert insights on embodied carbon, why refurbishment beats rebuilding, and how the next generation of multidisciplinary talent is being shaped. If you're making decisions about your data centre’s future, this one’s for you.

Main takeaways of the blog:

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1. Why legacy data centres are a hot topic right now
2. The sustainability and power dilemma impacting refurbishment decisions
3. The talent gap threatening long-term industry growth
4. How BCS helps you make informed decisions and future-proof your data centre projects

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Legacy data centres are standing at a crossroads.

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Once the workhorses of a growing digital economy, many of these facilities are now struggling to meet the demands of modern computing, particularly in the face of AI-driven workloads, rising energy costs, and stricter sustainability requirements. The question facing operators is no longer if they should act, but how. At a recent roundtable with over 20 industry experts, we explored the complex landscape of legacy infrastructure and the decisions that will shape the future of the industry. Here are three critical challenges that emerged.

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1. The Sustainability Imperative: Rethink, Don’t Retire

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Legacy facilities often struggle with outdated cooling systems, inefficient equipment, and poor energy performance leading to PUE scores far above modern benchmarks. At first glance, scrapping and rebuilding might seem like the obvious solution. But in today’s climate-conscious world, refurbishment is the smarter, more sustainable path forward.

Embodied carbon: the emissions already locked into existing buildings and infrastructure adds weight to the case for refurbishing rather than demolishing. Retaining and upgrading existing structures preserves this embedded carbon and avoids the high emissions cost of new builds.

Over 90% of a data centre’s emissions are Scope 3, stemming from construction, supply chains, and equipment manufacturing. Refurbishment dramatically reduces that footprint.

Waste reduction is another key benefit. Demolishing and rebuilding generates enormous material waste, while retrofitting cuts that down significantly. And let’s not forget natural resources, upgrades reduce the need for new steel, concrete, and timber, helping conserve materials that are both carbon-intensive and finite. With carbon taxes looming in the UK and EU, operators who decarbonise now will avoid future penalties and gain a competitive edge.

Refurbishment isn't just greener, it’s strategically sound. Legacy sites often come with prime locations, established grid connections, and close proximity to users. With the right upgrades, they can evolve into high-performing, future-ready assets.

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2. The Power Crunch: A Silent Threat

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The demand for energy is surging, fuelled by AI workloads and national digital transformation agendas. Yet grid infrastructure is lagging, and the assumption that power will always be available is becoming a dangerous one. Alternative cooling and generator refurbishment are becoming non-negotiable. Location is now critical, not just for latency, but for grid resilience. Many in the industry fear we’re approaching a tipping point in power availability. Data centres cannot operate in an energy vacuum. Operators need long-term strategies that account for grid constraints, renewable integration, and sustainable backup systems. This challenge isn’t going away, it’s accelerating.

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3. The Talent Gap: Who Will Build the Future?

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Alongside infrastructure and sustainability, one of the most urgent challenges is human: the growing skills shortage in the construction and engineering industries more broadly.

While some focus on a shortage in data centre-specific expertise, the real issue lies in the wider construction skills gap. Data centres, after all, are buildings and the shortage spans project management, engineering, and trades across sectors.

BCS is helping address this by investing in the next generation, training talent from trainee level onwards. We don’t just look for data centre specialists; we help create multi-disciplinary professionals with skills that can move fluidly across sectors. Engineering and sustainability roles are growing, but the pipeline of talent is not.

There's limited awareness of the sector in universities and mainstream career platforms. Diversity and inclusion remain real challenges when attracting new talent. To future-proof the industry, we need to shift the narrative, making the data centre sector not only accessible but attractive to the next generation of problem-solvers.

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How BCS Can Help

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From refurbishing legacy infrastructure to navigating sustainability standards and power availability, BCS brings strategic insight and deep industry expertise. We partner with data centre operators to assess, design, and deliver future-ready infrastructure, whether you're retrofitting an existing site or planning your next project.

Legacy data centres are no longer just part of the past, they're a key part of the future. The challenge lies in unlocking their potential.

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Ready to make your next move? Let’s talk.

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