Build stage 1
Power and site work
Power and site work is the first stage of a data center build. It covers getting electricity from the utility to the property and getting the land ready for a building. No equipment on the project can be energized or tested until utility power reaches the site.
By Czarina Tabayoyong, Founder, Critical Path Hiring. Former Amazon, AWS and Google recruiter.
Last reviewed · First published
Reviewed as terms, pay and markets change.
Work
Utility interconnection
The owner applies to the local utility for service, and the utility studies whether its grid can carry the new load. In busy markets this request can take longer than the building itself. The owner's team negotiates the service agreement, the delivery date and who pays for which equipment.
Substation
Large campuses usually need their own substation. High-voltage power arrives on transmission lines, and the substation steps it down to the medium voltage the site distributes. Sometimes the utility builds and owns the substation, and sometimes the owner builds it and hands it over.
Medium-voltage distribution
From the substation, medium-voltage cable runs underground in duct banks to the buildings. Switchgear and transformers at each building take the power down again to the voltages the electrical rooms use.
Backup power
Diesel generators are the standard backup, sized to carry the critical load if the utility drops. Some campuses add onsite generation, battery storage or fuel cells, especially where utility capacity is short.
Site preparation
Before the building goes up, the site is surveyed, cleared, graded and drained. Civil crews build roads, foundations, stormwater systems, water and sewer connections, fiber pathways and the duct banks that will carry power.
People
Owner side
- Power and energy procurement managers who negotiate with the utility
- Utility interconnection managers who manage the application and schedule
- Site selection and land development managers
- Program and project managers who own the overall schedule
Engineering
- Electrical engineers who design high- and medium-voltage systems
- Substation and protection and controls engineers
- Civil and geotechnical engineers who design grading, drainage and foundations
Construction
- Electrical contractors and high-voltage electricians
- Line workers for overhead and underground utility work
- Civil superintendents, equipment operators and survey crews
- Project controls staff who track cost and schedule
Testing and startup
- NETA-certified testing technicians who test switchgear, transformers and protective relays
- Generator and switchgear vendor field engineers who start up their equipment
Commissioning overlap
Commissioning starts in this stage. Factory witness testing of generators, switchgear and transformers counts as level 1 commissioning. Level 2 and level 3 checks happen as equipment lands and is installed. The utility energization date, often called "permanent power", decides when level 4 and level 5 testing can begin. When that date moves, the whole commissioning schedule moves with it.
Hiring impact
The people in this stage are hired first and are some of the hardest to find, because the same high-voltage, substation and utility skills are in demand from utilities, renewable energy projects and transmission work. Hiring managers should plan these roles before the building design is final. Candidates who have energized a substation or run a utility interconnection on a large campus can usually show it on a single project list.
For when to open each search against the build schedule, see the hiring timeline by build stage.
Related
Czarina Tabayoyong
Founder and principal recruiter, Critical Path Hiring. Czarina recruits commissioning, MEP, power and critical facilities people for data center builds. She previously recruited cloud and data center architecture talent at AWS Professional Services, and PMO and project delivery talent for hyperscale data center campuses in Texas and Virginia.
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