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DATA CENTER ALLY / COURSE 02

Power & the Grid

IT load, PUE, electrical infrastructure, and reliability.

4 lessons · About 10–15 minutes

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LESSON 01 / 04

Power and energy

Power describes a rate of electricity use, commonly in kilowatts or megawatts. Energy describes use over time, commonly in kilowatt-hours or megawatt-hours. A simple example is a steady 1 MW load for 2 hours: it uses 2 MWh. A connection capacity is a limit or design value, not a measurement of annual energy use.

Check your understanding

A steady 1 MW load for 2 hours uses:

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

Course source library

Original research and public resources for further reading. Local permits, utility agreements, and current job requirements provide the details for your situation.

U.S. DOE — Energy-efficient data center designenergy.gov (opens in a new tab)Virginia JLARC — Data Centers in Virginia (2024)jlarc.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)EIA - Electricity explainedeia.gov (opens in a new tab)

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