DATA CENTER POWER & COOLING
Size data-center precision cooling from IT heat, electrical losses, room loads, engineering margin and redundancy.
Set the engineering assumptions and design parameters.
This is a sensible-load planning model. Final precision cooling selection requires manufacturer performance data at actual room and outdoor conditions.
Review calculated capacity, limits and design checks.
IT equipment, UPS/PDU losses released in the room, lighting, people, envelope/solar allowance and other sensible heat are summed before engineering headroom is applied.
For data centers the critical value is the precision unit sensible capacity at actual operating conditions. Verify airflow, return/supply temperatures, humidity control, altitude, containment and manufacturer derating before procurement.
Nearly all electrical power consumed by IT equipment ultimately becomes heat inside the conditioned space, so IT kW is a practical first-order sensible heat input.
Yes when those losses are released into the conditioned room. Do not double count losses rejected outside the room.
The tool calculates the active cooling units required for the design sensible load, then adds one redundant unit and checks capacity with one unit unavailable.
No. This V1 model focuses on sensible load. Humidification, dehumidification, infiltration and other latent loads require psychrometric design.
No. Final selection must use manufacturer sensible capacity at actual return/supply conditions, altitude, airflow, redundancy strategy and site layout.
Schneider Electric — Calculating Total Cooling Requirements for Data Centers · ASHRAE Datacom Series
Content reviewed: 2026-09-10
ENGINEERING WORKFLOW
Move from rack load through UPS protection, generator/ATS ride-through, precision cooling, airflow containment and facility PUE as one critical-infrastructure planning sequence.
