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Design the build and its cost

Design, cost and timeline of the build, line by line.

Project Frankfurt, 20 MW, 2 phases

Example values. Change any of them and they become your project, kept in this browser. Create a free account to keep it

20 MW IT in Frankfurt. The design sizes every element of the build; each is priced at an order-of-magnitude level (AACE Class 5) and set in a programme.

Your design

MW
phases
Advanced unit sizes and loads

Each field starts at the spec level's figure. A size you set sizes the quantities and picks the price cells and the vendors that fit it.

kW per rack
% of IT
kW per rack
feeds
minutes

Capex and programme at a glance

Premium

Equipment supply, priced and modelled lines
Premium
Long-lead
Premium
Fit-out
Premium
First energisation
May 2030
3.5 years from the start

Build prices the design element by element at an order-of-magnitude level (AACE Class 5): each line from public prices where a size-matched range exists, otherwise from published unit costs, with a band and the evidence behind it.

The figures, the bands and the totals are part of Premium. The design, the bill of quantities, the vendors in your country and the programme stay free to use.

They open with the 7-day trial, which needs no card and starts when you confirm your email. After the trial, Premium is EUR 49 a month per user, or EUR 490 a year, and the first payment is refundable for 7 days.

Start the 7-day trialSee pricing

1

Design

The design as sized, the electrical and cooling duties behind it, the redundancy of each package and the site as a model. Free to read and to check.

Design basis

Design basis
SettingValue
Project
IT load20 MW
Phases2
Spec levelStandard
Racks and density
Air-cooled racks8 kW per rack
IT in liquid-cooled racks0 %
Liquid-cooled racks40 kW per rack
Rack size42U, 800 x 1200 mm
Power feeds per rack2
Power
UPS module500 kVA
Battery runtime10 min
Battery chemistryVRLA
Generator set2000 kVA
Transformer2.5 MVA
Utility incomers2
Cooling
Room coolingChilled-water CRAH
Room unit capacity100 kW
Chiller1000 kW
Coolant distribution unit800 kW
White space distribution
Floor PDU300 kVA
Rack PDUBasic, 3-phase, 32 A
ContainmentNone
Racks per row10
Copper per rack120 m
Cable categoryCat 6

The design as sized: the spec level sets every setting, and each stays as you changed it under Advanced unit sizes and loads.

Electrical duty, per phase

Electrical duty, per phase
DutyValueRule
IT load10,000 kWThe IT load of the build over its phases.
Load power factor0.95The power factor of the IT load.
UPS duty10,526 kVAIT load over the load power factor: 10,000 kW / 0.95.
UPS losses417 kWIT load x (100 / 96% UPS efficiency - 1).
Battery recharge1,000 kW10% of the IT load.
Cooling electricity3,150 kW0.3 kW per kW of room and liquid heat (10,500 kW).
Auxiliaries500 kW5% of the IT load.
Backed-up load15,067 kWThe peak facility load: IT load + UPS losses + battery recharge + cooling electricity + auxiliaries.
Generator duty18,833 kVABacked-up load over the generator power factor: 15,067 kW / 0.8.
Transformer duty15.86 MVAPeak facility load over the load power factor, in MVA: 15,067 kW / 0.95 / 1000.
MV incomers and couplers2 incomers, 1 couplerFor the whole site, not per phase: one feeder per transformer on top.

UPS duty in kVA is the protected IT load over the load power factor, inside each module’s kW rating. Generators carry the whole backed-up load: IT, UPS losses and recharge, cooling electricity and auxiliaries. Transformers are sized on the peak facility load; MV switchgear follows the single line, incomers, couplers and one feeder per transformer.

Cooling duty, per phase

Cooling duty, per phase
DutyValueRule
IT heat on air10,000 kWThe IT load not in liquid-cooled racks.
Electrical losses and other heat500 kW (5%)5% of the IT load, rejected into the room.
Room heat10,500 kWIT heat on air + electrical losses and other heat.
Liquid heat0 kWThe IT load in liquid-cooled racks.
Chilled-water heat10,500 kWRoom heat + liquid heat, carried by the chillers.
Cooling electricity factor0.3 kW per kWElectricity at peak per kW of room and liquid heat: 10,500 kW x 0.3 = 3,150 kW.

Room units remove the IT heat on air plus the electrical losses and other heat in the room. Chillers carry the chilled-water heat, room and liquid loop together, at their capacity at the design ambient. DX units reject their own heat. CDUs carry the liquid-cooled racks.

Redundancy per package

Redundancy per package
PackageDutyUnit sizen neededRedundancyInstalled per phaseInstalled for the build
UPS10,526 kVA500 kVA222N4488
Generators18,833 kVA2000 kVA10N+11122
Transformers15.86 MVA2.5 MVA72N1428
Chillers10,500 kW1000 kW11N+11224
Room cooling units10,500 kW100 kW105N+1106212
Coolant distribution unitsNone–––00

Each package needs n units: its design duty over the usable unit capacity, rounded up. N installs n, N+1 installs n plus one, 2N installs two full trains. Racks, rack PDUs and containment are never doubled by infrastructure redundancy; PDUs follow the feeds of each rack, and each feed carries the rack’s full load.

Site model

Phase 2 of 2 · 2,500 racks · 88 UPS modules

2 data halls in 2 phases · 2,500 racks · 88 UPS modules (2N) · 22 generator sets (N+1) · 28 transformers (2N) · 31 MV switchgear panels · 24 chillers (N+1) · 212 room cooling units.Phase 2 of 2 · 2,500 racks · 88 UPS modules.

2 data halls in 2 phases · 2,500 racks · 88 UPS modules (2N) · 22 generator sets (N+1) · 28 transformers (2N) · 31 MV switchgear panels · 24 chillers (N+1) · 212 room cooling units. Schematic, not to scale. Ground plate is the equipment footprint plus 3 m, not a site boundary.

2

Capex by element

Equipment supply for the design, split into the long-lead infrastructure to order first and the fit-out. Excluding VAT, installation and commissioning.

Total:Premium

Long-lead infrastructure

Long-lead infrastructure
ElementQuantitySpecificationSupply cost
UPS modules88 modules500 kVA modules, 2NPremium
UPS batteries7,656 kWhVRLA, 10 min at module ratingPremium
Standby generators22 sets2000 kVA sets, N+1Premium
MV/LV transformers28 units2.5 MVA, 2NPremium
MV switchgear31 panels2 incomers, 1 coupler, 28 feedersPremium
Chillers24 units1000 kW at design ambient, N+1Premium

Ordered first: it sets the energisation date. The cost of each element, its band and the evidence behind it are in Premium.

Fit-out

Fit-out
ElementQuantitySpecificationSupply cost
LV main switchboards28 boards4000 A, 400 VPremium
Floor PDUs144 units300 kVA, 2 feeds per rackPremium
Rack PDUs5,000 stripsBasic, 3-phase 32 APremium
Room cooling units212 unitsChilled-water CRAH, 100 kW, N+1Premium
Racks2,500 racks42U, 800 x 1200 mmPremium
Copper cabling300,000 mCat 6Premium

Distribution, cooling units, racks and cabling. The cost of each element, its band and the evidence behind it are in Premium.

Each element is priced at an order-of-magnitude level (AACE Class 5). The cost of every element, its band and the evidence behind it are in Premium.

Sizing rules are the Build engine’s. Prices are from public distributor prices and contract award notices in Premium.

3

Bill of quantities

Every element the design needs, by category, with its quantity for the whole build and the engineering rule that sized it. Free to read and to check.

Power

Power
ElementQuantitySpecificationSizing rule
UPS modules88 modules500 kVA modules, 2N10,000 kW IT / 0.95 load pf = 10,526 kVA; ceil(10,526 / 500 kVA) = 22, 2N installs 44 per phase, 2 phases.
UPS batteries7,656 kWhVRLA, 10 min at module rating500 kW x 10 min / 96% UPS efficiency = 87 kWh per module, x 44 modules = 3,828 kWh per phase, 2 phases.
Standby generators22 sets2000 kVA sets, N+1Backed-up load 15,067 kW (IT 10,000 + UPS losses 417 + recharge 1,000 + cooling 3,150 + auxiliaries 500) / 0.8 pf = 18,833 kVA; ceil(/ 2000 kVA) = 10, N+1 installs 11 per phase, 2 phases.
MV/LV transformers28 units2.5 MVA, 2NPeak facility load 15,067 kW / 0.95 pf = 15.86 MVA; ceil(/ 2.5 MVA) = 7, 2N installs 14 per phase, 2 phases.
MV switchgear31 panels2 incomers, 1 coupler, 28 feeders2 utility incomers + 1 bus coupler + 28 transformer feeders, for the whole site.
LV main switchboards28 boards4000 A, 400 VOne per transformer: 2.5 MVA / (√3 x 400 V) = 3,608 A, frame 4000 A per phase, 2 phases.
Floor PDUs144 units300 kVA, 2 feeds per rack300 kVA x 0.95 pf = 285 kW each; 1250 racks of 8 kW, 35 per PDU; x 2 feeds per phase, 2 phases.
Rack PDUs5,000 stripsBasic, 3-phase 32 AA strip carries 17.7 kW at 80% of its rating; racks x 2 feeds x ceil(rack kW / 17.7 kW) = 2500 per phase, 2 phases.

Cooling

Cooling
ElementQuantitySpecificationSizing rule
Chillers24 units1000 kW at design ambient, N+1Chilled-water heat 10,500 kW (room 10,500 + liquid 0); ceil(/ 1000 kW) = 11, N+1 installs 12 per phase, 2 phases.
Room cooling units212 unitsChilled-water CRAH, 100 kW, N+1Room heat 10,500 kW (IT on air 10,000 + electrical losses and other heat 5%); ceil(/ 100 kW) = 105, N+1 installs 106 per phase, 2 phases.

White space

White space
ElementQuantitySpecificationSizing rule
Racks2,500 racks42U, 800 x 1200 mmceil(10,000 kW / 8 kW per rack) = 1250 per phase, 2 phases.
Copper cabling300,000 mCat 61250 racks x 120 m per phase, 2 phases.

Sizing rules of the Build engine; quantities for 20 MW IT in 2 phases, summed over the phases (MV switchgear is for the whole site).

4

Vendors in Germany

Which vendors publish a product line for each category and name Germany on their own pages, or, where none does, those serving other European markets. Names and presence only, with no price, rating or ranking.

  • UPS

    6 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 1 headquartered there

  • UPS batteries

    4 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 2 headquartered there

  • Standby generators

    7 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 1 headquartered there

  • MV/LV transformers

    5 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 2 headquartered there

  • MV switchgear

    3 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 1 headquartered there

  • Chillers

    10 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 3 headquartered there

  • LV switchgear

    4 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 2 headquartered there

  • Floor PDUs

    2 vendors name Germany on their own pages

    • ABB Zurich, Switzerland
    • Vertiv Columbus, United States

  • Rack PDUs

    6 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 2 headquartered there

  • Room cooling units

    7 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 4 headquartered there

  • Racks

    4 vendors name Germany on their own pages, 1 headquartered there

    • CONTEG Prague, Czechia
    • Panduit Tinley Park, United States
    • Rittal Herborn, Germany, headquartered here
    • Siemon Watertown, United States

  • Structured cabling

    5 vendors name Germany on their own pages

A vendor is listed for Germany when its own pages name the country (a country site, or a contact or locations page) or when the country is its headquarters. That says the vendor sells and publishes there. It does not say the vendor has a legal entity there.

Vendors' own websites, retrieved to 22 Oct 2026. No price, rating or ranking.

5

Programme

From permits and the grid wait through long-lead delivery to first energisation, on the Plan’s own rule. Free to use.

Programme inputs

Grid capacity
Long-lead order
months

20 months in the Plan, plus 3 months of commissioning.

months

21 months in the Plan, order to delivery.

Empty starts this month, Oct 2026.

Permits take 7 months in Germany, the Plan’s figures for the market.

First energisation, phase 1
May 2030
3.5 years from the start
Critical path
Long-lead equipment
Delivery and installation set the date
Phases
2
20.0 MW in all

Programme, phase 1

Months from Oct 2026. The bars in the accent colour are the critical path.

  1. Pre-application Oct 2026 to Apr 2027
  2. Planning and permits Apr 2027 to Nov 2027
  3. Grid connection (secured) In hand
  4. Long-lead equipment Nov 2027 to Aug 2029
  5. Construction, phase 1 Jun 2028 to Feb 2030
  6. Commissioning and handover Feb 2030 to May 2030

Energisation by phase

Energisation by phase
PhaseIT loadConstruction startsFirst energisationDate set by
Phase 110 MWJun 2028May 2030Long-lead equipment
Phase 210 MWJun 2031May 2033Construction

Later phases reuse the first phase’s connection and open three years after the one before.

The Plan’s programme rule on the design’s phases; permit time and grid wait are the Plan’s public figures for the market.

Sizing AI load: the AI accelerator power list of board power, servers and racks, and the AI energy calculator for energy, carbon and cost by the hour.

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