5 MW Data Center Power System Cost Breakdown (Q3 2026 China Supplier Pricing)
5 MW Data Center Power System Cost Breakdown (Q3 2026 China Supplier Pricing) — itemized bill of materials and FOB pricing for a typical configuration.
Bill of materials
This configuration exceeds the standard single-transformer catalogue range (max ≈ 6300 kVA). It is engineered to order — contact us for a custom multi-transformer design and quotation. No standard BOM is shown to avoid misleading figures.
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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