The utility supplies the entire facility, not only the servers. Cooling, UPS losses, power distribution and other auxiliaries sit between the IT boundary and the site meter. Annual energy and instantaneous power need separate datasets.
Energy PUE = facility energy / IT energy over the same period and boundary. Confirm where each meter is located.
For an illustrative coincident power check, 10 MW IT at a stated facility/IT multiplier of 1.30 means 13 MW facility demand. An annual PUE alone does not establish that multiplier at the peak.
Separate IT installation capacity, occupied capacity, operating utilisation and phased ramp. Tie every scenario to an energisation date.
02
The grid-to-load power chain
Map the utility connection, switchgear, transformers, UPS, distribution and IT/cooling loads. Standby generation and BESS connect at defined interfaces. Different connection points change losses, protection, control and which loads receive support.
UPS bridges permitted interruptions for its supported loads; long-duration energy comes from an explicitly sized and available source.
Record generator cold start, failed start, load acceptance, fuel autonomy and maintenance limitations.
For BESS, report PCS MW, usable MWh, starting SOC, reserve floor and end-of-life capacity separately. Test the actual isolation and restoration sequence.
03
AI workload flexibility and electrical limits
Some compute tasks can move in time or location, while others have strict latency and service commitments. Electrical flexibility can also come from cooling or storage, but every option has operational limits and a rebound or recovery requirement.
Obtain the IT operator's permission, the maximum deferral duration and the energy that must be recovered after a curtailment.
Reserve UPS/standby energy for its contracted resilience duty before assessing grid services.
Use interval studies for energy economics, and suitable high-resolution measurements and specialist models for fast power swings and power quality.
Reviewed 25 October 2026. Teaching derivations and project methods are original; the following sources provide background and do not replace project-specific requirements.