Facility requirements planning for power, cooling, and standby power is one of the most important steps early on in the data center build or refresh project. Changes in plans, requirements, and construction in later stages of the project can greatly increase the costs and extend the timeline, which may ultimately disrupt business activity.

To ensure that all requirements have been met the first time, both internal and external sources should be consulted. IT personnel, business stakeholders, and third parties such as vendors, industry experts, and utility companies can all play a part in determining the data center power, cooling, and standby power requirements for the enterprise.