The Definitive Guide toAI Data Centers
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GuideGlossaryEmbodied carbon

Embodied carbon

The greenhouse-gas emissions from making and building hardware and facilities, separate from operating energy.

Current numbers

18-36 moAI hardware refresh interval compressing from a 5-7 yr norm — the engine of recurring embodied carbonas of 2026 · register ↗
up to ~3.5xlower embodied carbon per MW for steel-frame modular vs concrete-heavy buildsas of 2025 · register ↗
50-80%embodied carbon share of lifecycle emissions on a clean grid (concrete ~40%, steel ~10% of material carbon)as of 2025 · register ↗

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