Server Room Cost Calculator

Server Room Cost Calculator

Enter any 3 values to calculate the missing variable

Number of Servers Server Power Consumption

Watts (W) Kilowatts (kW)

Run Time Per Day

Hours (hrs) Minutes (min)

Electricity Cost ($/kWh) Server Room Cost ($/day)

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Why a Server Room Cost Calculator can stop you from losing money fast.

• Server Room Cost Calculator means a simple tool.
• It tells you how much a small server room will cost.
• It adds power, cooling, racks, and floor cost.
• It helps plan money. It helps avoid surprise bills.

How to calculate server room cost — an engineer shows you

Here’s what I’ve noticed from real work. An engineer is teaching a small team. He stands by a floor plan. He points to a 20 m² room. He says, “We will build this room now.” He uses a calculator. He uses simple numbers. He wants to show the students the cost. He uses the tool to check power and cooling. He uses it to avoid big mistakes.

Real life example (simple):

• Room area: 20 m².
• Racks: 10 racks.
• Power per rack: 4 kW (typical for dense setups).
• Electricity price: $0.12 per kWh (example).
• PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness): 1.6 (conservative small-room value).
• Installation & cabling estimate: $6,000 flat.
• Floor / fit-out cost: $200 per m².

I use these numbers. I explain every step. I speak like a live teacher. I show the math. The students watch.

Step-by-step calculation (I do math out loud)

First know the main formula for IT load:

• IT Load (kW) = number_of_racks × power_per_rack.

So here:

• IT Load = 10 × 4 = 40 kW.

Next know total facility load using PUE:

• Total Load (kW) = IT Load × PUE.

So:

• Total Load = 40 × 1.6 = 64 kW.

Cooling need often equals facility load minus IT load:

• Cooling (kW) = Total Load − IT Load = 64 − 40 = 24 kW.

UPS sizing (simple rule):

• UPS Size ≈ IT Load × 1.25 (adds headroom and redundancy).

So:

• UPS Size = 40 × 1.25 = 50 kW.

Power cost per month (rough calc):

• Hours per month ≈ 24 × 30 = 720 hours.
• Monthly kWh = Total Load × 720 = 64 × 720 = 46,080 kWh.
• Monthly power cost = kWh × price = 46,080 × $0.12 = $5,529.60.

Room fit-out cost:

• Floor cost = area × cost_per_m² = 20 × $200 = $4,000.

Add installation and cabling:

• Installation = $6,000.

Estimate one-time capital and first month operating:

• Capital items: UPS, racks, PDUs, cooling unit, cabling, fit-out.
  For this example we list rough costs (illustrative):
  • UPS + battery bank (sized 50 kW): say $30,000.
  • Cooling unit (24 kW capacity): say $12,000.
  • Racks and PDUs: $6,000.
  • Fit-out + cabling: $10,000 (includes the $6k above).
    Total capital ≈ $58,000 (very rough).
• First month operating cost (power) ≈ $5,530.

I speak in plain terms. I show numbers step by step. The team writes them down.

Why use the calculator and one quick trick

Manual math can work. But one trick I teach: build a small spreadsheet with three cells — IT Load, PUE, price per kWh. Then add these simple formulas. You can change rack count and see cost change right away. This trick helps plan fast.

A calculator will:

• Save time.
• Avoid heavy guesswork.
• Show true running cost.
• Help pick the right UPS and cooling.

Use it before you sign contracts. Use it before you buy heavy gear.

FAQs

Q: Can I use lower PUE?

A: Yes. If you use modern cooling, PUE can drop. But use a safe number for planning.

Q: Do I need N+1 redundancy always?

A: Not always. It depends on uptime need. For critical services, yes. For low-cost projects, you may accept less.

Q: How to reduce power cost?

A: Use efficient servers. Improve cooling. Monitor load. Shift heavy jobs to off-peak hours.