Your Data Center needs a design availability of 99.999% On Day 1
High reliability, safety, and energy efficiency in data center operations.
Download Our WhitepaperGet exclusive information and “lessons learned” that tells you why you need commissioning to successfully operate your data center systems.
Deciding on a commissioning agent for your project is a huge task.
Right now data centers are going up everywhere and companies cannot keep up with the storage demand.
Serious data center players are trying to shorten the entire design-build cycle period down to a 6-9 month period.
That’s why some data center owners choose to perform little or no commissioning.
A new construction project is often a long and demanding process.
- There is design work to be done
- Materials to secure
- Data to collect and much more
- Contractors to manage
- Tests to perform
If the commissioning firm isn’t present during these critical conversations and continually communicating with the project team, they are unlikely to provide effective owner representation.
You want to know, and we want to give you the right information to make your decision.
In our whitepaper see how you can meet a high standard of data center commissioning.
Pinpoint the most common construction and installation errors that can bring the project to a full stop.
A data center is a very complex machine. It is a mammoth task to build and deliver, with its myriad of details, requiring significant engineering to meet the design requirements and more.
If the small details aren’t managed, large-scale budget overruns can grow from small details that go overlooked for too long, requiring expensive fixes later.
When commissioning engineers are sent in that aren’t proficient in electrical and mechanical design, it’ll lead to delays executing of test scripts, retesting, and overall project delivery.
Avoid commissioning pitfalls and mistakes
Common Issues
Systems risk contamination if clean areas aren’t respected and planning and operation sequencing aren’t followed to bring platforms, storage and network connections into the facility.
A maintenance staff with little or no experience on data center equipment and systems, or a maintenance staff without procedural qualifications post integrated system testing at turnover interface, can lead to lack of confidence in your overall start and sustainability.
Processes that aren’t followed from design review to pre-functional testing and energization, can mean air that isn’t particulate-free which can damage the equipment, causing delays, failures and costly fixes.
Successful new construction projects rely heavily on uncompromising attention to detail.
That’s where data center commissioning comes in.
The central role of the commissioning authority is to represent your interests to give you confidence that there are no hidden problems.
Your commissioning partner listens to your requirements, identifies single point failures, develops test scripts, optimizes the testing sequence, and verifies that each piece of equipment is ready to support commercial operations.
At CAI, we pay special attention to communication.
Technical expertise is critical when testing your data center functionality.
There is no one way to commission a data center, though adhering to the general ASHRAE guidelines for commissioning buildings is fundamental.
We know that each project is unique.
Though many engineering firms loosely adhere to the general 5 Steps ASHRAE guidelines for commissioning buildings, not only do we have Mike Amstadt on our team (the guy who wrote the guidelines) we’ve added a few more steps of our own, starting with data center design philosophy.
When you ensure equipment is properly installed and fully integrated it works the minute you flip the switch
The Data Center Construction Market is estimated to be worth $22.73 Billion by 2019.
Industry guidance estimates companies should spend from 0.8% to 2.0% of the total
project budget towards commissioning to receive the operational benefits of commissioning
Commissioning is a rigorous, quality assurance process in which a facility — in this case, a data center — is thoroughly tested to ensure that its design, equipment operability and system redundancy meet the specifications and expectations set by the owner.
The process begins at design and checks for appropriate redundancy to eliminate single points of failure and verifies that any efficiency features built into the system function as intended.
Commissioning ensures that all mission-critical equipment is properly installed, and the systems are fully integrated.
Results like these aren't accidental with CAI.
Objective: Commission a new single story, 169,000 square feet, 17.6MW enterprise Data Center within a highly compressed project schedule and a design reliability of 99.999%
Project Success: CAI conducted commissioning with the client populating all data racks as scheduled. Functional Performance Tests were coordinated with the Vendor’s Pre-Functional Tests reducing overall testing time, ensuring thorough system testing and expediting the final delivery of the data center to the owner.
Objective: Commission the Utility Substation for the new enterprise Data Center within the assigned project schedule and without disruption of the functional data center.
Project Success: Of greatest importance is the fact that this commissioning effort was accomplished safely, with no harm to personnel or equipment. CAI conducted commissioning within the allotted time and without impact to the operational IT systems.
Down the road you'll see less unplanned downtime and fewer repairs
Clearly written operating procedures, test-scripts, internal checklist and strong project management allow CAI to deliver on your project expectations.
Staying on budget in new building commissioning projects requires catching small issues and fixing them before they turn into big ones.
Utilizing and implementing CAI in your data center will safeguard your environment and help protect your information technology investments in the future.
Greater availability, safety, and efficiency throughout the life cycle of the data center.
Your decision to secure a high-quality commissioning agent will give you a clear conscience…for decades.
Think of CAI as your watchdog of the construction project.