What requirements apply to power supply, cooling, and server location?

Hardware data is the planning basis

GPU servers differ significantly in performance, connection, and waste heat. Therefore, only manufacturer data of the ordered system and a load measurement are applicable. As a specific, non-transferable example, NVIDIA specifies a maximum power consumption of 10.2 kW and a designated temperature range of 5 to 30 °C for a DGX H100. This value is not a general recommendation for LLM servers, but it illustrates why a normal office connection and an air conditioning system based on intuition are insufficient.

Electrical power is almost entirely converted to heat. For conversion, approximately 1 W = 3.412 BTU/h applies; thus, 10.2 kW corresponds to approximately 34,800 BTU/h. The actual plan takes into account servers, network, storage, UPS losses, and reserves. Connection type, circuit protection, inrush current, and redundant power supplies are determined by electrical planning and manufacturer specifications. A UPS only bridges the defined time; it does not replace a generator or orderly shutdown.

For cooling, permissible supply air temperature, air volume, and clear separation of supply and exhaust air are crucial. Warm exhaust air must not be re-aspirated. Sensors monitor temperature and, if necessary, humidity at suitable points, not just at the room wall. The PUE relates the total energy consumption of the data center to IT performance and helps to make cooling and ancillary consumption visible; however, it does not provide a statement about model quality.

The location also requires load-bearing capacity testing, sufficient space for service, controlled access, fire detection, water risk assessment, network connectivity, and a noise plan. Before acceptance, a load test is conducted, including the failure of a power or cooling path, as far as redundancy is provided. Measurement values, alarm thresholds, and contacts are recorded in the operations book. Especially for power levels in the kilowatt range, planning should be carried out by electrical and cooling specialists.