Adjustable indoor reference design
30 GPU racks and 2,160 GPUs inside an estimated 51,000 square-foot conversion. The 3D scene shows the topology.
Deployment size
Inspect the 5 MW design
Hover for a summary; click or tap the service, electrical gear, GPU cabinets, fiber, cooling or shell to pin price links.
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Cliff planning estimate · 2026 USD
The selected scenario reuses an already-energized commercial service. First usable capacity is modeled at 4–6 months; the schedule below reaches the full selected deployment in 6–12 months.
Assumes an ordinary commercial building—not an industrial plant—with 5 MW of verified continuous spare capacity and an upstream feeder, service transformer and main gear that already support it. Those sunk assets cost $0 here; the estimate begins at a new protected data-center takeoff. It models 4.00 MW IT at 1.25 PUE, keeps 10% of IT power outside the rack count, and requires a shell that can be made structurally and legally suitable. Generators, property acquisition, financing and tax are excluded.
Installed facility cost
Range, $ millionsProof, shell feasibility, stamped design and actual permit/check fees.
1–6 months · Owner, occupancy, design and AHJ intakeEverything after the existing service: takeoff, gear, UPS and rack distribution.
4–9 months · Electrical, fire/battery and owner shutdownDemolition, structural work, envelope, egress and commercial-neighbor mitigation.
3–7 months · Occupancy, building, structural, fire and noiseSmartRun-style supports, containment and pathways; equipment is separate.
4–7 months · Building/structural, electrical and mechanicalRack liquid hardware, CDUs, loops and roof/yard heat rejection.
5–10 months · Mechanical, plumbing, structural, electrical and noiseTwo short diverse laterals and the facility edge; cluster fabric stays in compute.
2–8 months · Carrier, ROW/street opening and low-voltageFire systems, secure partitions and facility monitoring.
3–6 months · Fire, building, low-voltage and owner securityFactory/site acceptance, load banks, failure tests, spares and turnover.
1–2 months · Final inspections and owner acceptanceDesign development, escalation and commercial-shell unknowns.
Held through delivery · Not a permitParallel delivery path
Month 0–12Durations overlap. Capacity proof, owner/AHJ approvals, carrier delivery, equipment procurement, and construction control first use and full deployment.
Bottom-up cost book · every value moves with the slider
Each range is an installed planning allocation, not a shopping-cart total. When a manufacturer does not publish pricing, its estimated allocation appears once inside the relevant system. Open a row for timing, permits and its evidence trail.
Lead/install1–2 months
Approval trackOwner approval; utility notice if tariff requires
Engineering allowance to verify intervals, service rights, ratings, fault duty and protection.
Lead/install1–3 months
Approval trackLandlord/lender consent; zoning and occupancy confirmation
Commercial-building allowance before the shell is accepted as suitable.
Lead/install2–5 months
Approval trackStamped architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical and fire sets
Retrofit soft-cost allocation cross-checked to the 2026 gross-MW benchmark.
Lead/install2–6 months
Approval trackOccupancy, building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, ROW
Location allowance; official schedules price reviews by work value, scope and staff time.
Lead/install4–9 months
Approval trackElectrical; fire/battery; owner shutdown
Installed allocation cross-checked to $2.5m/MW retrofit distribution equipment and public unit ranges.
Lead/install4–9 months
Approval trackElectrical; fire/battery; owner shutdown
Installed allocation cross-checked to $2.5m/MW retrofit distribution equipment and public unit ranges.
Lead/install4–9 months
Approval trackElectrical; fire/battery; owner shutdown
Installed allocation cross-checked to $2.5m/MW retrofit distribution equipment and public unit ranges.
Lead/install4–9 months
Approval trackElectrical; fire/battery; owner shutdown
Installed allocation cross-checked to $2.5m/MW retrofit distribution equipment and public unit ranges.
Lead/install4–9 months
Approval trackElectrical; fire/battery; owner shutdown
Installed allocation cross-checked to $2.5m/MW retrofit distribution equipment and public unit ranges.
Lead/install3–7 months
Approval trackBuilding, structural, demolition
Commercial-shell allowance; the 2026 retrofit case converted a former mattress factory.
Lead/install3–7 months
Approval trackBuilding, structural, mechanical, noise
Allowance for heat-rejection support, penetrations, weatherproofing and commercial-neighbor noise.
Lead/install3–7 months
Approval trackOccupancy, building, fire, accessibility
Commercial change-of-use/life-safety allowance.
Lead/install4–7 months
Approval trackBuilding/structural, electrical, mechanical
Estimated prefab overhead-distribution allocation; power and cooling equipment stay separate.
Lead/install3–6 months
Approval trackMechanical/plumbing; pressure test
Derived from the 2026 $0.38m-per-rack total cooling/HVAC model; this row is only the rack side.
Lead/install5–9 months
Approval trackMechanical, plumbing, electrical
Estimated installed allocation within the total cooling benchmark.
Lead/install5–10 months
Approval trackMechanical, structural, electrical, noise, screening
Heat-rejection share of the total cooling/HVAC benchmark at 4 MW IT.
Lead/install2–8 months
Approval trackCarrier order; ROW/street opening; low-voltage
Two short on-net laterals; public bids show route cost changes sharply when boring is required.
Lead/install1–3 months
Approval trackLow-voltage/building; carrier acceptance
Facility-side fiber and edge allowance; cluster fabric is in compute hardware.
Lead/install3–6 months
Approval trackFire alarm/suppression; fire-marshal acceptance
Installed retrofit allowance cross-checked to a public detector unit price.
Lead/install2–4 months
Approval trackLow-voltage/building; owner security review
Commercial-building security allowance.
Lead/install3–6 months
Approval trackControls integration; owner cybersecurity review
Planning facility-controls allowance.
Lead/install1–2 months
Approval trackFinal building, electrical, mechanical and fire inspections
Third-party commissioning and rental-equipment allowance.
Lead/install1 month
Approval trackOwner acceptance
Owner allowance for non-IT spares and documentation.
Lead/installHeld through delivery
Approval trackNot a permit
Planning contingency; commercial-shell conditions remain a material risk until demolition and surveys.
Lead/install3–8 months
Approval trackElectrical, mechanical and vendor acceptance
$2.8m–$3.4m reported complete-system range; NVIDIA publishes no rack list price.
Lead/install3–8 months
Approval trackLow-voltage; owner cybersecurity review
Cliff installed allowance cross-checked to an $87,125 public SN5600 switch listing; topology and optics dominate.
Lead/install3–8 months
Approval trackOwner cybersecurity and acceptance
Owner allowance; workload, retention, support and spare strategy require a real quote.
This is the user's core assumption. The model begins at a new dedicated protected takeoff on the commercial-building service.
DOE data-center design guide ↗If the upstream chain cannot actually carry the selected continuous load, this reference design no longer applies.
WhiteFiber 2026 retrofit disclosure ↗Excluded for speed. The range starts from a 2026 $1.1m/MW generation-plus-balance-of-plant disclosure and adds redundancy/site risk; EPA and local air review can control schedule.
ProPetro 2026 generation cost disclosure ↗Facility and compute totals are 2026 planning capex before financing, tax and ongoing power, carrier, staffing or maintenance bills.
Permitting + delivery
A building permit is only one approval. The property owner, inspectors, fire department, internet carriers and sometimes the utility tariff or an air agency each control part of the project.
The city or county checks whether a data center, its noise and any generators are allowed at the property.
Engineers prove that floors, roof, exits and equipment supports are safe and accessible.
Engineers prove the existing service has continuous room, then inspectors review new metering, high-voltage gear, batteries and emergency shutoffs.
Officials review fans, pipes, refrigerant, drainage, leaks and how much noise reaches neighbors.
The fire department checks alarms, sprinklers, batteries and fuel. Diesel generators may also need an air permit.
Two fiber companies may need permits to open streets or use poles and must enter the building from separate directions.
This is an educational model, not construction guidance. The slider means power engineers have proven is unused and safe to run continuously—not simply the gap between peak use and a service label. Licensed engineers and local officials must design and approve a real facility.
Staged data-center finance · current disclosed structures
Debt is sized against its own collateral pool; customer support reduces sponsor cash.
One commitment closes; each block must satisfy draw conditions before money moves.
Facility debt runs 7 years; GPU debt runs 5 years; price declines 5% annually.
Moves both facility and GPU rates; collateral shares and amortization stay fixed.
| Rate change | Annual debt | Stabilized DSCR |
|---|---|---|
| -2% | $22.3M | 1.91× |
| Selected | $23.5M | 1.82× |
| +2% | $24.8M | 1.73× |
| +4% | $26M | 1.64× |
Customer payment → controlled lockbox → power and operations → facility debt → GPU debt → reserves → sponsor distribution
Cliff planning model, not a financing offer. Presets synthesize disclosed transactions; a 5 MW sponsor without an investment-grade customer or completion guarantor may receive less debt at a higher rate—or no project debt. Construction interest assumes facility debt draws at roughly 40% of each block’s delivery path and GPU debt one month before revenue. Excludes financing fees, taxes, reserves, insurance, working capital, hardware refresh and residual value.