Capstone Project: Designing a 10 MW Tier III Data Center
The best evidence of design skill is a complete design you can walk an interviewer through. Here is the shape of such a project, and where it appears in VMI's program.
The shape of a complete design
- Requirements: IT load, growth and the reliability target. See tier classification.
- Basis of design: assumptions, standards and design criteria written down.
- Load calculation: IT, cooling and auxiliary loads. See load calculation.
- Equipment sizing: UPS, generators, transformers, cables and power factor correction.
- Single-line diagram: redundancy topology and distribution paths. See single-line diagrams.
- Studies: fault levels and protection.
- Layouts: electrical rooms, data halls and earthing.
- Procurement and testing: vendor evaluation and FAT/SAT planning.
In the VMI program
The twelve modules build the pieces in this order: data center fundamentals, electrical fundamentals, equipment, design standards, the design process, load calculations and cable sizing, single-line diagrams, layouts, BIM and software, vendor engineering, site engineering and ETAP, and finally the capstone: a 10 MW Tier III data center project, end to end (30 hours).
Why it matters for a career
- It gives you a portfolio piece with calculations, drawings and stated assumptions.
- It lets you answer interview questions from your own work. See interview questions.
See the program page for the curriculum, schedule and fee, and the free career roadmap.
Written by the Vision Matrix Institute editorial team. Worked examples use stated, illustrative assumptions; check them against your project data, the applicable standards and manufacturer datasheets before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VMI capstone project?
The last module of the Electrical Design – Data Center Specialist program: a 30-hour, end-to-end design project for a 10 MW Tier III data center.
Why a full project?
Employers want to see decisions and calculations hang together, from the redundancy target to the layout, with assumptions stated.
Is the capstone a real facility?
It is a teaching project designed to use the whole curriculum, not a client facility.
Where can I see the whole curriculum?
On the program page, which lists all twelve modules, hours and fee.
Want to learn this properly?
This topic is covered in depth in our Electrical Design – Data Center Specialist program.
Ask us on WhatsAppLearn to do this on a full project in the Electrical Design – Data Center Specialist program, or read the data center design guide.