With the rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the data center sector in Australia is expected to consume around 8% (2,500MW) of the country's total grid power by 2030, up from 5% (1,050MW) today. According to some forecasts, this demand may rise to 15% as AI workloads become more intensive and edge computing becomes more prevalent.

At a private executive event held by Legrand Data Center Solutions in August, Starline’s Application Engineering Manager APAC & ME, Alfred Victor spoke on the need for Australia’s data centers to ensure they are ready to support the massive increase in power consumption, and how Starline’s track busways are engineered to help data centers grow their power distribution capacities safely and reliably with room for future expansions. Here are the highlights.

Risks of Rapid Grid Power Growth

1. Stress on the Grid

Increased energy use of data centers will strain existing infrastructure and increase chances of brownouts or other electrical incidents. This makes it necessary for facility operators to consider renovating ageing infrastructure or building more capacity with room to expand in the future.

Overhead track busways, for example, could be retrofitted along with older power distribution infrastructure without additional setup, while providing options for future scaling.

2. Environmental Concerns

A larger carbon footprint can be expected when more power is consumed. In response to this, data centers are likely to face more pressure to meet local and global regulations and monitoring standards for sustainability, like the National Australian Built Environment Rating System for Data Centers, a rating system for measuring the environmental performance of data centers in terms of infrastructure energy efficiency, IT equipment energy usage, and overall energy consumption.  

One way data centers can start moving towards sustainable setups is to collaborate with like-minded companies like Starline (a brand of Legrand), which is building an extensive library of Product Environmental Profiles (PEP) to cover their busway offerings. These PEPs are environmental identity cards verified by third parties, certifying the track busways compliant with ISO 14025 standards of environmental impact. This means the busways offer the following sustainability benefits:

a)       The busway track housings are made from aluminum that can be easily recycled or reused

b)      Plug-in units are interoperable with other setups, making them easy to redeploy or reuse, saving waste during system changes

c)       Both tracks and units are built with less components, reducing carbon footprint and facilitating material separation during end-of-life for recycling 

3. Operational Costs

The cost of power remains one of the largest operating expenses for data centers. An energy-efficient power system like Starline's maintenance-free track busways, which can be installed and modified with minimal labor, can improve sustainability metrics while reducing a facility's operational costs.

Reliable, Flexible and Safe Power Distribution for AI Workloads

GPU clusters supporting AI workloads can consume 40kW to 100kW of power, much more than traditional servers that draw around 10kW. In order to meet these demands consistently, racks need reliable, flexible, and safe power systems.

For high-density data centers and other mission-critical environments, Starline has designed overhead Track Busways to meet these requirements.

Reliability

Lightweight, extruded aluminum track housing provides improved heat dissipation and corrosion resistance, and resists warping and bending. Roll-formed copper busbars connect directly to plug-in units (PIUs) via a paddle assembly, eliminating the need for mechanical fastening and ensuring optimized conductivity, consistency, and long-term performance.

In addition, 100% maintenance-free, compression-fit joints reduce failure points and maintenance needs. With very few parts and fewer electrical connections, Starline’s busway system design reduces complexity and increases operational resilience.

Flexibility

The interchangeable plug-in units (PIUs) can be customized to meet diverse power requirements from 160 to 1,250 amps. Also, they are compatible within either T3 and T5 series, allowing operators to upgrade or change systems without undergoing a major infrastructure overhaul.

Joint options for tees, elbows, and cross-sections enable data centers to develop power layouts as needed while providing secure, tool-less connections that further enhance installation speed. Additionally, the busway system's open channel allows operators to tap power anywhere, so adding or relocating PIUs can be done at any point in the layout without downtime.

Safety

By eliminating live power panels, limiting incidental contact with exposed breakers and backplanes, and restricting tool access, Starline's track busways provide substantial safety benefits. Asymmetrical U-shaped housing prevents incorrect installation and improves structural integrity.

The "first-in, last-out" ground tap provides grounding before power is connected, with a variety of ground options like IP2X to satisfy country grounding requirements. Moreover, certified live insertion ensures tool-free installation without shutting down the system.

Conclusion

As Australia’s data centers brace for a future defined by exponential power demand from AI workloads, cloud services, and edge computing, power distribution infrastructure must evolve to match. Meeting this challenge requires solutions that are not only scalable and energy-efficient, but also resilient, flexible, and safe.

Starline’s overhead track busways deliver on all these fronts—combining thoughtfully engineered design features that balances consistent, reliable performance and flexibility to adapt with safety innovations that give operators peace of mind in mission-critical environments. Moreover, the track busways also support sustainable operations through recyclable components and materials, and reduced carbon footprint.

As part of a future-ready, modular data center architecture, Starline’s track busways—integrated with intelligent power management tools, high-density PDUs, and resilient busbar systems—can help Australian facilities handle increasing power loads without compromising performance, uptime, or environmental responsibility.

If this is the solution your team is looking for, reach out to us at ldcs.apac@legrand.com for a conversation to learn more.