Question 1

How Much Does Data Center Decommissioning Cost?

Accepted Answer

The cost of data center decommissioning varies widely based on facility size, equipment density, data destruction requirements, and geographic location. However, in many cases, the value of the equipment recovered offsets or completely eliminates the cost — meaning we may actually pay you.

Question 2

How Long Does Data Center Decommissioning Take?

Accepted Answer

Timeline depends on facility size and complexity. A small server room (50-100 servers) can be completed in 1-2 days. A mid-size enterprise data center (500-2,000 servers) typically takes 1-2 weeks. A hyperscale or multi-MW facility may require 4-12 weeks of phased decommissioning.

Question 3

What Is ITAD and How Does It Apply to Data Center Decommissioning?

Accepted Answer

ITAD stands for IT Asset Disposition — the structured process of retiring, repurposing, reselling, or responsibly recycling end-of-life IT equipment. In the context of data center decommissioning, ITAD ensures that all hardware is handled securely, data is permanently destroyed, and maximum value is recovered from sellable assets.

Question 4

Do You Pay Us for Our Data Center Equipment?

Accepted Answer

Yes — in most cases, we pay you. High-value equipment such as NVIDIA H100/H200 GPUs, enterprise servers, generators, UPS systems, and network switches carries significant resale value on the secondary market. We assess your inventory, provide a firm cash offer, and can often offset or eliminate your decommissioning costs entirely.

Question 5

What Certifications Should an ITAD Company Have?

Accepted Answer

When selecting an ITAD partner for your data center decommissioning, look for R2v3 (Responsible Recycling), NAID AAA (data destruction), e-Stewards, and ISO 14001 certifications. These certifications ensure your data is permanently destroyed, your equipment is handled responsibly, and you are protected from downstream liability.

Question 6

What Happens to the Data on Decommissioned Servers?

Accepted Answer

Data security is the most critical aspect of any decommissioning project. We perform NIST 800-88 compliant data sanitization on all storage media, including DBAN overwriting for HDDs and cryptographic erasure for SSDs. For media that cannot be sanitized, we perform on-site physical destruction with a Certificate of Destruction provided for every drive.

Question 7

How Do I Prepare My Data Center for Decommissioning?

Accepted Answer

Preparation is the key to a smooth decommissioning project. Start with a complete asset inventory, identify all data-bearing media, document power and cooling dependencies, notify stakeholders, and establish a migration timeline for any workloads still running. Our team provides a pre-decommissioning site survey to help you build a comprehensive project plan.

Question 8

What Is R2v3 Certification and Why Does It Matter?

Accepted Answer

R2v3 (Responsible Recycling version 3) is the leading international standard for electronics recyclers and ITAD companies. It ensures that equipment is handled safely, data is destroyed securely, and materials are recycled responsibly — protecting both the environment and your organization from downstream liability.

Question 9

Can You Decommission a Data Center While It Is Still Running?

Accepted Answer

Yes — phased decommissioning of live facilities is one of our core specialties. We work in coordination with your operations team to de-rack and remove equipment in planned maintenance windows, ensuring zero disruption to production workloads. This is particularly common in colocation migrations and cloud consolidation projects.

Question 10

How Do I Calculate the Salvage Value of My Server Racks and Equipment?

Accepted Answer

Salvage value depends on equipment age, brand, model, condition, and current secondary market demand. NVIDIA H100 GPUs currently command $12,000-$28,000 each. Enterprise servers from Dell, HPE, and Cisco range from $500 to $12,000 per unit. Generators and UPS systems can recover $20,000 to $350,000 depending on kW rating. We provide free, no-obligation valuations for your entire inventory.

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