Ep230: Brent Trenga: Recovering Architect Redefines Building – Circularity, Data Centers, & Legos
Brent Trenga joins me to spill on why construction is stuck in the Stone Age while we run space-age data centers. We geek out on circular economies, ethical capitalism, and why data centers should be built like Legos—easy to snap together, just as easy to snap apart—so growth and reuse don’t come with carbon regret. Tune in for laughs and lightbulb moments!
References to Studies, Reports, Data, or External Agencies
Katerra (failed mass timber company) – Company history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katerra
Sidewalk Labs – Alphabet project https://www.sidewalklabs.com/
Guest Links
Brent Trenga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-trenga-a077278
Company Website: Kingspan Insulated Panels North America https://www.kingspan.com/us/en-us/product-groups/insulated-panels
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1:35:22
Ep229: Luke Saladyga: Submarine Officer to Oracle Innovator–Systems Engineering, Data Centers, & AI
I've got Luke Saladyga sharing his wild ride from nukes on subs to hyperscale data centers at Google and now Oracle. We dive into operational maturity, high availability nines, and why curiosity beats repetition every time – because who wants boring when you can automate the chaos?
Studies, References, and External Mentions
Myers-Briggs personality test (referenced in leadership course): https://www.myersbriggs.org/
Open Compute Project (initiated by Meta): https://www.opencompute.org/
Nvidia GTC conference and GB200 GPUs: https://www.nvidia.com/gtc/
IEC 61850 standard (substation protocol): https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/6028
Guest Links
Luke Saladyga's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saladyga/
Oracle Company Website: https://www.oracle.com/
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1:48:26
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1:48:26
The QTS Experience 228: with Joel Chakkalakal; Waste, Recycling, and the tubing at Schlitterbahn
Sustainability in data centers boils down to slashing carbon footprints and waste—think Lean Six Sigma magic and robotic automation. I geek out with Joel Chakkalakal on decommissioning hacks, circular economies, and why ops folks deserve a seat at the design table. Let's make our industry greener, one velcro trace at a time!
Studies, References, Data, or External Agencies
Lean Six Sigma: https://www.asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma
Open Compute Project (OCP): https://www.opencompute.org/
IEEE Working Group on Data Sanitization (IEEE P2883): https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2883/10711/
Nomad Futurist: https://nomadfuturist.com/
Pegasus Logistics: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/
Guest Links Joel Chakkalakal's
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chakkalakal
Company Website (Critical Risk Solution): https://www.criticalrisksolution.com/
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1:07:49
Episode 227: Raiford Smith – Balloon Dogs, Grid Stress, and Data Center Ingenuity
I'm diving into the grid's growing pains with Raiford Smith! Raiford says the grid is a balloon dog—squeeze it here, make it an anteater there. We unpack the stress
on aging infrastructure and explore innovative fixes. Join us for a charged QTS Experience!
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Episode 226: Cathal Quinn – From Rooftops to Resilience: Data Centers, Mental Health & Irish Grit
He went from pouring pints to powering platforms—and once dreamed of being the next great Irish basketball star (don’t we all). Cathal Quinn and I discuss big builds, mental health, and why Ireland is still punching above its digital weight class.
Referenced Reports / Concepts
FLAP-D: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin as major European DC hubs
Compound growth of the EU data center market: Estimated 15–20% YoY over 3–5 years (no direct link, summary from guest)
The concept of Ireland missing the “first wave of AI” due to energy constraints
Guest Links
Cathal Quinn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathal-quinn-15099837/
MOY Group Company Website
The most valuable commodity on earth today is data. How we make it, use it, move it & protect it. Join David McCall as he invites guests from all industries to talk about how they use data to drive their business & innovation in their market.