EEI Building Performance, a 100% employee-owned firm headquartered in Lakewood that helps owners improve building systems performance through commissioning, technical expertise and technology, has launched its new Data Center Modernization practice.
Led by Stephen C. Lally Jr. — who joins the firm as principal based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office — the new practice will help owners and operators improve reliability, unlock capacity, and extend the useful life of existing data center infrastructure.
“Steve’s extensive technical expertise, record of sustained high standards in data center operations, engineering leadership and critical facilities management make him an exceptional fit to lead this new practice for EEI,” said Blake Hickok, CEO/president of EEI. “As our clients continue to upgrade complex building systems and mission-critical infrastructure, Steve’s experience across global data center portfolios will help us bring a focused, high-value service offering to this rapidly evolving market.”
EEI’s Data Center Modernization practice will support facilities serving cloud computing, enterprise applications and AI workloads, with recommendations tailored to each facility’s operating requirements and business objectives. The practice will focus on modernization in operating facilities, where upgrades require careful planning and commissioning to protect security and availability and manage operational risk. Initial priorities will include facility assessments, equipment replacement planning, power and cooling optimization, controls upgrades, energy efficiency, commissioning and operational readiness. For facilities pursuing higher-density computing, services will also address liquid-cooling readiness and related infrastructure requirements.
“Data center operators are being asked to get more from existing infrastructure while supporting cloud computing, enterprise applications and emerging AI workloads,” said Lally. “Modernization must address aging equipment and operating efficiency as well as higher densities and new cooling requirements. I’m excited to combine EEI’s commissioning and building-performance expertise with deep hyperscale operational experience to help clients plan and verify upgrades from facility assessment and technical advisory services through commissioning, turnover and sustained operations.”
