Data Center Mechanical and Electrical Design and Operation

Data centers are critical infrastructure for today’s digital economy, but their complexity demands specialized knowledge in both mechanical and electrical systems. This course explores the full lifecycle of data center design and operation—from site planning and environmental control to power systems and IT integration. Participants will gain practical skills in system sizing, code compliance, commissioning, and energy optimization, preparing them to manage high-performance, resilient facilities.

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Who Should Attend?

IT facility operators, system administrators, and data center managers.
Mechanical and electrical engineers, architects, and project consultants.
Construction managers, contractors, and government procurement personnel involved in data infrastructure projects.

What You Will Learn

Design and evaluate HVAC and electrical systems for data centers, including UPS, cooling, and power distribution.
Apply ASHRAE, NFPA, and IEEE standards to ensure code compliance and operational safety.
Implement commissioning processes and identify energy-saving opportunities to improve data center efficiency and uptime.

Course Details: RA01524-E411

Day One

Welcome and Student Introductions

Introduction to the IT Industry

Technology trends

Historical servers, storage, network improvements
Future trends driving the industry

Technology uses

Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Types of AI and their energy use

Technology supporting infrastructure

Data center facility types
Electricity usage and sustainability
Network and usage

Properties of Moist Air

Temperature and humidity
Enthalpy and pressure
Psychrometric chart
Sensible and latent heat
Mixing of two air streams

ASHRAE and Environmental Criteria

ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9
ASHRAE air cooling environments
- ASHRAE air contamination guidelines
ASHRAE liquid cooling environments
- ASHRAE liquid cooling materials and fluid quality guidelines
ASHRAE data center standards
- ANSI / ASHRAE 90.1 and 90.4
- ANSI / ASHRAE 127 and AHRI 1360

Defining Uptime Expectations

Standards and guidelines
Best practices
Mechanical system topologies
Electrical system topologies
Performance analysis and optimization
Risk and availability assessment

Electrical Codes and Standards

NFPA 70, National Electrical code
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the workplace
NFPA 75, Standard for the fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment
IEEE Std. 1100, IEEE Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Electronic Equipment (IEEE Emerald Book)

Day Two

Data Center Architecture

Equipment form factor and types
Data center floor planning
- Planning a data center floor (Cold Aisle / Hot Aisle)
- Raised floor vs. non-raised floor
- IT placement
Cabling
Air distribution
- Air flow configurations
- CFD analysis
Impact of AI on data center architecture
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Data Hall Design Considerations

Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)

ITE load
Physical arrangement
Uptime expectation

Data Hall cooling

Perimeter cooling
Close-coupled cooling
Liquid cooling

Data Hall power distribution

Remote branch circuit distribution
Power distribution units
Critical power distribution

Mechanical System Design

Data Center cooling loads
Mechanical plant equipment

Chillers
Heat rejection systems
Economizers

Performance metrics

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)
WUE and CUE

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Technologies
Topologies
Electrical capacity management

Day Three

Electrical System Design

Utility service and voltage classes
Standby power and emergency generators
Primary power and transfer switches

IT Equipment

IT equipment and components
- IT thermal design
- Energy Star and benchmarking
IT interaction with the data center
- X factor reliability analysis
- Pressure, Delta T, airflow trends
IT equipment liquid cooling
- Air-to-liquid cooling transition
- Implementations and types
- Heat capture ratio
- Resiliency considerations

Case Studies

Tier IV with 2,400 kW IT Load (NJ)
- Conversion from existing Tier II
Tier III with 6,400 kW IT load (CO)
- Modular data halls
Tier III with 8,200 kW IT load (NC)
- Capacity increase after initial build

Course Location

Fluno Center

601 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Map

877-773-5866

608-441-7117

Lodging

DoubleTree by Hilton Madison Downtown

525 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Map

Accommodations include: Enjoy complimentary business center, WiFi and Local/Airport Shuttle. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, 42-inch HDTV, and executive desk. Parking available $15/night.

Online Reservations

800-222-8733

608-251-5511

Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club

One West Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53703

Map

Room: rates start at $160

Accommodations include: Complimentary WiFi, Local/Airport Shuttle, Pool, and Fitness Center.

More Madison Lodging Options

Instructors
Mark Malkin
Program Director and Teaching Faculty
Mark P. Malkin, PE, is a program director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the College of Engineering at UW-Madison. He is a registered Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience in university facilities project management and HVAC systems design. His course offerings include HVAC, plumbing and fire protection fundamentals, building code reviews, and design and operation of science labs, data centers, museums and libraries. Mark received his bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison.
Richard Schlosser
President
Richard Schlosser, principal at TiePoint-bkm Engineering in Baltimore, Maryland, is a registered professional engineer with more than 35 years of experience designing and commissioning Tier III and Tier IV power systems for computer and computer-related facilities. He served as a technical advisor to the Site Uptime Network for more than ten years. Richard holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.
Dustin Demetriou
Senior Technical Staff Member, Sustainability Data Center Innovation
Dustin W. Demetriou, PhD, is a Senior Technical Staff Member and Master Inventor at IBM where he leads the sustainability and data center innovation team. He has more than 15 years of experience focused on data center optimization and advanced electronics cooling technologies. He is an Uptime Institute Accredited Sustainability Advisor. He is the current Chair of the ASHRAE TC 9.9 IT Subcommittee, the past Chair of ASHRAE TC 9.9, and an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer
Dustin received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College, and MS and PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Syracuse University.
Stephen O'Neal
Lead Mechanical Engineer
Stephen M. O’Neal, PE, Senior Global Mechanical Engineer at Amazon Web Services in Herndon, Virginia, is a Professional Engineer with more than 10 years of experience focused on data center and critical infrastructure projects. Stephen specializes in central plant and complex expansion projects within live facilities. Stephen holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh
Sagar Rao
Co-founder
Sagar Rao is a Co-Founder of NeuMod Labs in Madison Wisconsin, with a background in building physics, data engineering, and software development. As a Building Performance Consultant, he has successfully delivered over 50 high performance buildings for a clientele that includes federal agencies, state authorities, prominent healthcare systems, renowned universities, financial institutions, and national laboratories. Sagar provides leadership to several ASHRAE, International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), and Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) committees.
Program Director
Mark Malkin

Total Credits:

CEU 2.2,

PDH 22,

Course Administration

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from registration@cerc.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email registration@cerc.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Very good at providing both depth and breadth of HVAC, Power, and IT Equipment as it relates to Data Centers. People with different areas of focus will become more knowledgeable and well-rounded when it comes to data center design after taking this class.”
– Josh, Epic Systems, Verona, WI

This course provided a comprehensive understanding of critical systems. The instructors effectively integrated real-world examples, making the material practical and applicable to current industry challenges. Their expertise and clear communication made complex topics easier to grasp. I particularly appreciated howthe course balanced theoretical knowledge with hands-on examples making it relevant to my day-to-day responsibilities.”
– Jeffrey, Microsoft, Snellville, GA

“I liked the comprehensive multidisciplinary informative approach to teaching this course. Having teachers that are active in the industry allowed me to ask questions that provide me current, relevant answers... Great to meet not only the instructors but also the participants. Great job!”
– Michael, Fluor, Menifee, CA

This 3-day course provided a macro coverage of all the technical subjects governing the data center from a design and operations standpoint while also diving deep into certain topics facing the industry today. The instructors, Dustin, Richard, Stephen and Mark were fantastic in shedding insight from the coverage of first principles to sharing design best practices and considerations along the way. I look forward to bringing this knowledge back with me to my team to provide better insight and value to our clients and beyond.”
–John, NV5, New York, NY

Data Center Mechanical and Electrical Design and Operation

2027 and later

Who Should Attend?

What You Will Learn

Course Details: RA01524-E411

Expanded accordion Course Outline

Expanded accordion Course Schedule

Expanded accordion Location and Lodging

Expanded accordion Instructors and Program Director

Course Administration

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