Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market is projected to expand from USD 2.17 Billion in 2025 to USD 3.83 Billion by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 9.93%. Rack Power Distribution Units are critical infrastructure components tasked with distributing, monitoring, and managing the electrical power supplied to networking equipment and servers within an enclosure. Key factors driving this market include the rapid increase in global data traffic and the demand for higher power densities to support high-performance computing tasks. This evolution requires robust power solutions capable of managing heavier electrical loads while ensuring system reliability. As noted by AFCOM in 2024, the average rack density reported by industry participants rose to 12 kilowatts, highlighting the urgent need for advanced units designed to handle these intensified power profiles.

A substantial barrier to market growth is the technical and financial complexity involved in retrofitting legacy data centers to support modern intelligent units. Many older facilities lack the architectural design or cooling capacity necessary to accommodate next-generation power distribution technologies, presenting a hurdle for operators with aging infrastructure. Consequently, the difficulties associated with modernization often compel companies to postpone essential upgrades, despite the clear operational advantages provided by advanced power management and monitoring systems.

Market Drivers

Rising rack power densities, fueled by high-performance computing and artificial intelligence workloads, are fundamentally altering power distribution needs within server enclosures. The deployment of power-intensive GPUs for generative AI training renders standard power infrastructure inadequate, necessitating the adoption of three-phase power distribution units with higher amperage to safely manage increased thermal and electrical loads. This trend forces operators to implement advanced intelligent units capable of precise outlet-level monitoring to avoid circuit overloads during peak processing. According to JLL's '2024 Global Data Center Outlook' from May 2024, the computational requirements of AI training clusters are pushing rack densities to between 20 and 100 kilowatts, far surpassing historical averages and driving the procurement of high-density units to ensure equipment safety.

The rapid growth of colocation and hyperscale facilities further boosts market demand as providers rush to expand capacity for digital infrastructure and cloud services. These massive centers require scalable, standardized power distribution solutions to ensure operational efficiency and uptime across thousands of racks. CBRE's 'North America Data Center Trends H1 2024' report from August 2024 notes that construction in primary markets hit a record 3,871.8 megawatts, illustrating the aggressive scaling efforts by major operators. To support this expansion, there is a focus on units that enable rapid deployment and remote management. Additionally, the International Energy Agency projected in 2024 that global data center electricity consumption could double by 2026, underscoring the vital need for efficient power hardware to handle this surging energy usage.

Market Challenges

The financial and technical difficulties associated with retrofitting legacy data centers present a significant obstacle to the Global Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market's expansion. Incorporating modern, intelligent power distribution units demands infrastructure capable of supporting high electrical loads and the associated heat output. Unfortunately, many older facilities face design constraints that make such upgrades both expensive and difficult. These sites frequently lack the necessary cooling capacity or architectural flexibility to handle the higher density requirements of contemporary power units, causing facility operators to often delay critical upgrades to avoid the heavy capital investment required to modernize their broader site infrastructure.

This hesitation to modernize directly impedes market momentum by slowing the deployment rate of advanced power solutions in existing data centers. The disparity between current infrastructure capabilities and modern requirements creates a major bottleneck for technology adoption. For instance, AFCOM reported in 2024 that 38% of industry respondents found their current cooling solutions inadequate for their evolving needs. This statistic highlights the widespread infrastructure deficit, which effectively stalls the installation of advanced rack power distribution units that rely on robust environmental support to function efficiently and safely.

Market Trends

The integration of PDUs with DCIM and management software marks a significant evolution toward comprehensive infrastructure oversight. Operators are increasingly shifting from isolated hardware monitoring to connecting power distribution units with centralized Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms. This connectivity allows for real-time visibility into power usage at the outlet level, enabling precise capacity planning and automated load balancing across distributed environments. By aggregating data from thousands of units, managers can identify stranded capacity and predict potential failures to prevent downtime. As noted in AFCOM's '2025 State of the Data Center Report' from January 2025, DCIM adoption has reached 69%, emphasizing the industry's growing reliance on software-defined strategies for efficient power network management.

Simultaneously, the rapid adoption of Intelligent and Smart PDU models is transforming the hardware landscape as facilities upgrade from legacy basic units to advanced solutions. These intelligent models are deployed to support granular power metering, remote switching, and environmental sensing directly within the rack. This transition is driven by the need to optimize operational efficiency and manage the thermal challenges presented by high-performance computing workloads. Manufacturers are seeing substantial growth in this segment as enterprise and hyperscale clients prioritize configurable units with enhanced control. For example, Legrand's May 2025 financial results reported a 20.2% year-over-year increase in U.S. data center sales, a surge attributed to the rising demand for these sophisticated infrastructure and power distribution solutions.

Key Players Profiled in the Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market

• Schneider Electric SE
• Eaton Corporation PLC
• ABB Ltd.
• Siemens AG
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Koenig & Bauer AG
• KEBA Group AG
• Emerson Electric Co

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market, by Metering & Monitoring:

• Basic Metering
• Advanced Metering
• Intelligent Metering

Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market, by Deployment Mode:

• In-Row
• Rear Door
• Busway

Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market, by Power Capacity:

• 0-5kW
• 5-10kW
• 10-15kW
• 15kW and Above

Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Data Center Rack Power Distribution Unit Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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