What does a load study show at a data facility?

It shows how much power the facility draws at its peak and how much capacity is left in each part of the electrical path, from the utility service to the UPS and the rack. Nameplate numbers on servers are conservative, so measured data is often the only way to know the real figure.

What do we measure?

  • Main service, generator and automatic transfer switch loads
  • UPS input and output
  • Power distribution units and branch circuits to the racks
  • Phase balance, since uneven phases waste capacity
  • Harmonics and power factor from server power supplies

What do owners use the data for?

  • Deciding whether new racks fit before ordering equipment
  • Checking that redundant paths can still carry the full load if one fails
  • Balancing load across phases and circuits
  • Supporting capacity planning with measured, not assumed, numbers
  • Finding overloaded circuits before they trip

What size facilities do we work with?

Server rooms, small colocation suites, edge sites and the equipment rooms inside commercial buildings. Phoenix is a large data center market, but our focus is the smaller facility where an electrical contractor and a measured load study make the most difference. For large hyperscale campuses the design is handled by engineering firms, and we support them with field data.

How do we protect uptime?

Recording uses clamp-on instruments, so there is no outage. Where work on live panels is required, we follow NFPA 70E safe-work practices and plan the work with your operations team. Thermal scans of connections are a natural companion; see infrared thermography. The overall service is on our Electrical Load Studies page.

Arizona ROC #153656 (CR-11) | Over 40 years in business

OUR PROCESS

HOW DOES A JOB WITH PHOENIX CONTRACTING SERVICES WORK?

Every job follows three steps: a site walkthrough, testing and documentation, then findings and next steps.

01

WALKTHROUGH AND SCOPE

We start with a free phone consultation, and you can send a photo of your panel or equipment. If on-site work is needed, we visit, look at the panels and service, and agree on what needs to be tested or repaired before any work starts. On-site work is quoted before it begins.

02

TESTING AND DOCUMENTATION

Load loggers and a thermal camera record what the equipment is doing, and the results are documented for each panel or component we check.

03

FINDINGS AND NEXT STEPS

We go over what we found and your options in plain language. If corrective work is needed, we are licensed to do it.

WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT US

5.0 VERIFIED GOOGLE RATING
Jeff and his team were amazing! I needed a load calculation, one line diagram, and a panel schedule for an electrical permit with the city. Phoenix Contracting Services had an unbeatable price and moved quickly to See more
Jeff’s knowledge, experience and professionalism are exemplary! We contracted him to provide engineering plans to permit our relocation and upgrade of electrical service meter. He worked with my electricians on details See more
We woke to a Friday morning with weird lighting fluctuations. I checked the service panel to find a burning smell and melted bus bar under AC breaker. Since bus bar was melted, I contacted SRP who provided some certified See more

Will recording interrupt our equipment?
No. We use clamp-on instruments that do not interrupt the circuit.
Can you measure redundant power paths?
Yes. We record each path and report whether the remaining path could carry the full load if the other failed.
Do you work on live panels?
Only when it is necessary and with NFPA 70E safe-work practices. Most measurements are made without opening energized equipment.
Is this an engineering study?
No. We provide measured field data and a report, and we assist engineers with load calculations.
Do you work on large data center campuses?
Our focus is server rooms, edge sites and smaller colocation facilities. On larger projects we support engineering firms with field data.

Tell Us What Your Electrical System Needs

Share the details of your project, and our team will help you identify the most practical next step.