500 kW Data Center Power System Cost Breakdown (Q3 2026 China Supplier Pricing)
500 kW Data Center Power System Cost Breakdown (Q3 2026 China Supplier Pricing) — itemized bill of materials and FOB pricing for a typical configuration.
Estimated total (FOB): $293,057 · 1000 kVA transformer
Bill of materials
| Item | Specification | Qty | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HV incoming panel (KYN28A-12-630-315) | 630 A / 31.5 kA · vacuum | 2 | $4,896 |
| HV bus-tie panel (KYN28A-12-630-315) | 630 A / 31.5 kA · vacuum | 1 | $2,448 |
| Main transformer (each) (SCB13-1000/10) | 1000 kVA · Dry-Type · Copper · SCB13 | 2 | $37,927 |
| LV incoming panel (GGD-1600) | 1600 A busbar · In 1443 A | 2 | $9,098 |
| LV bus-tie panel (GGD-1600) | 1600 A busbar | 1 | $4,549 |
| LV feeder panel (×2) (GGD-1600) | distributes 8 circuits | 2 | $9,098 |
| Cable branch box (LV) (DFW-0.4) | 1-in / 4-out · 0.4 kV · 630 A | 1 | $630 |
| Main feeder cable (TX→LV) (YJV 0.6/1kV 240 mm² ×4) | 4× 240 mm² Cu · ΔU 0.88% @ 60 m · $123.0/m | 4 | $29,520 |
| Feeder cable — IT feeder 1 (×8) (YJV 70 mm²) | 70 mm² Cu · 160 A · ΔU 1.3% · $37.0/m | 8 | $17,760 |
| Branch trunk cable (LV → branch box 1) (YJV 185 mm² ×2) | 2× 185 mm² Cu · 638 A · ΔU 1.0% · $103.0/m | 2 | $12,360 |
| Main busbar (Cu) (Cu 100×10) | 100×10 · 2000 A rating · ref $118/m | included | POA |
| Grounding electrode (Φ20mm × 2.5m rod) | R₁ 39.6 Ω → 13 rod(s) ≤ 4 Ω | 13 | $125 |
| Online double-conversion UPS module (1/2) (600 kVA / 540 kW) | 0.9 output PF · 92% efficiency · 10 min battery (91 kWh total) | 1 | $78,000 |
| Online double-conversion UPS module (2/2) (600 kVA / 540 kW) | 0.9 output PF · 92% efficiency · 10 min battery (91 kWh total) | 1 | $78,000 |
| UPS battery bank (VRLA / LiFePO4) (91 kWh) | battery autonomy 10 min @ full IT load · $95/kWh | 1 | $8,645 |
| DCIM / monitoring system (DCIM platform) | power & environmental monitoring, metering, alarms (POA — not included in estimate) | 1 | POA |
| Rack PDU (end-of-row / column head cabinet) (rack PDU) | per-rack power distribution + branch metering (POA — not included in estimate) | 7 | POA |
Single-line diagram
How it was calculated
- IT load = 500 kW (≈ 63 racks @ 8 kW/rack)
- Cooling + auxiliary = 300 kW (cooling 60%) + 40 kW (aux 8%)
- Total facility load P = 840 kW → PUE = P ÷ IT = 1.68
- UPS capacity = IT ÷ (PF × η) = 500 ÷ (0.95 × 0.92) = 572 kVA → 600 kVA module
- UPS battery = 500 kW × 10 min ÷ 60 ÷ 0.92 = 91 kWh autonomy
- Tier Tier II requires N+1 minimum; selected N+1 → 2 UPS module(s) · 1 path(s)
- Loads: P=840 kW, PF 0.95, 8 circuits
- Demand: 840 × 0.9 = 756 kW
- PFC: Qc = 756 × (0.329 − 0.329) = 0 kVAR → 0 kVAR bank
- Transformer: S = 756 ÷ 0.95 = 795.8 kVA → 1,000 kVA standard
- Loading: 796 ÷ 1,000 = 80% (good range)
- Voltage regulation: 80% × 6% × sinφ ≈ 1.5% at full load
What drives the cost
- Equipment — the transformer/switchgear/inverter is the largest single line item.
- Storage (where applicable) — batteries are the biggest swing factor.
- Copper & freight — copper-linked cabling and freight shift landed cost ±5–10%.
Frequently asked questions
What is N+1 vs 2N redundancy in a data center power system?
N+1 provides one spare module beyond the minimum (e.g. 4 UPS modules when 3 are needed), surviving a single failure. 2N duplicates the entire power path into two independent feeds, each able to carry full load, giving fault tolerance for any single component. 2N roughly doubles capex; N+1 adds about 25-35%. Tier III often implies N+1, Tier IV implies 2N.
How do I size a data center UPS from IT load?
Start from IT load in kW, add cooling and mechanical loads (typically 50-70% of IT load), apply a 20-30% growth margin, then convert to kVA at 0.9-0.95 power factor. A 1000 kW IT load with 60% cooling becomes ~1600 kW, about 1700-1780 kVA, so select 2000 kVA of UPS. The calculator applies these steps and matches standard UPS ratings.
What PUE should a modern data center target?
PUE is total facility power divided by IT power. Legacy facilities run 1.6-1.8; modern air-cooled data centers achieve 1.3-1.4, and hyperscale facilities with free cooling reach 1.1-1.2. Every 0.1 PUE reduction cuts non-IT energy about 10%. TIA-942 and Uptime Institute guidance use PUE as a key efficiency metric; the calculator reports facility vs IT load split.
What is the standard voltage architecture for a data center?
Typical architecture: 10 kV (or 35 kV) utility feed -> MV switchgear -> transformers to 0.4 kV -> UPS -> PDU -> rack. Medium to large facilities use 10/0.4 kV with dual MV feeds and 2N or N+1 topology. Rack density of 8-12 kW per rack is standard; high-density AI racks reach 30-100 kW and may use 48 V DC or liquid cooling.
How much battery runtime should the UPS provide?
Runtime is sized to bridge to generator start, typically 5-15 minutes (the calculator default is 10 minutes). Generators reach full load in 30-60 seconds, so longer battery only adds cost. For sites without generators, runtime extends to 30-60 minutes for graceful shutdown. The calculator sizes battery blocks from the chosen runtime and DoD.
What is the typical transformer sizing for a 1000 kW data center?
With IT load 1000 kW and cooling 60% plus UPS losses and margin, total demand reaches ~1800-2000 kW. At 0.95 pf that is ~1900-2100 kVA, so select two 1250 kVA transformers for N+1 (or 2x2000 kVA for 2N). MV/LV transformers are usually dry-type cast-resin SCB13/SCB14 with Class F insulation for fire safety.
Size your own configuration
Run the calculator for your exact load and get a full BOM + FOB price.
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