Data Center Standards

Data center standards establish the requirements and best practices that guide facility design, construction, and operation. While some standards address EMC directly, others influence EMC through their requirements for power systems, cabling, environmental control, and equipment placement. Understanding the full landscape of applicable standards helps data center professionals create facilities that meet regulatory requirements, satisfy customer expectations, and provide the reliable electromagnetic environment that modern computing equipment demands.

The standards ecosystem for data centers involves multiple organizations operating at international, regional, and national levels. These organizations often coordinate their work to maintain reasonable consistency, but differences remain that require attention when designing or operating facilities across multiple jurisdictions. This article examines the key standards affecting data center EMC and provides guidance for developing compliance strategies that address multiple requirements efficiently.

ANSI/TIA Standards

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), working with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), develops standards that define data center infrastructure requirements in North America and influence practices worldwide. The TIA-942 standard series specifically addresses data center telecommunications infrastructure and includes significant EMC-related provisions.

TIA-942 Overview

ANSI/TIA-942 "Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers" provides comprehensive requirements for data center design. The current revision addresses site selection, architectural considerations, electrical systems, mechanical systems, and telecommunications cabling, with EMC considerations integrated throughout.

Key EMC-related provisions in TIA-942 include:

Grounding and bonding: Requirements for telecommunications grounding busbars, bonding networks, and connections between equipment and building ground systems
Cable pathway separation: Specifications for separation between power and telecommunications cables, including minimum distances and crossing requirements
Shielding requirements: Guidance on when shielded cabling is required and how to properly implement shielded systems
Power quality: Requirements for power distribution quality affecting equipment EMC performance

TIA-942 Rated Tiers

TIA-942 defines four facility rating levels that describe increasing degrees of infrastructure redundancy and fault tolerance. These ratings influence EMC through the requirements for redundant power paths, maintenance provisions, and infrastructure quality:

Rated-1 (Basic): Single path for power and cooling, susceptible to disruptions from both planned and unplanned activities. EMC design focuses on basic compliance without redundancy.

Rated-2 (Redundant Components): Adds redundant capacity components but maintains single distribution path. EMC design must consider failover scenarios.

Rated-3 (Concurrently Maintainable): Multiple distribution paths enable maintenance without service disruption. EMC design must accommodate maintenance activities without affecting operating equipment.

Rated-4 (Fault Tolerant): Redundant paths active simultaneously with fault tolerance. EMC design must ensure that faults in one path do not create EMC problems affecting the redundant path.

Related TIA Standards

Several related TIA standards address specific aspects of data center infrastructure with EMC implications:

TIA-568: Generic telecommunications cabling standards including cable categories and installation requirements. The EMC performance specifications for cable categories (6, 6A, 8) directly affect data center cabling performance.

TIA-569: Pathways and spaces standards including cable tray, conduit, and room requirements. Separation requirements and pathway design affect EMC.

TIA-607: Grounding and bonding standards for telecommunications systems. This standard directly addresses the grounding infrastructure essential for EMC.

TIA-1179: Healthcare facility telecommunications infrastructure, which includes enhanced EMC requirements relevant to data centers supporting healthcare applications.

ISO/IEC Standards

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) jointly develop international standards for data center infrastructure. These standards provide a global framework often adopted by national standards bodies and referenced in contracts for international data center projects.

ISO/IEC 22237 Series

The ISO/IEC 22237 series "Information technology - Data centre facilities and infrastructures" provides comprehensive international data center requirements. The multi-part standard addresses different aspects of data center design and operation:

Part 1: General concepts covering terminology and overall framework
Part 2: Building construction including structural and environmental considerations
Part 3: Power distribution including EMC-related power quality requirements
Part 4: Environmental control for temperature, humidity, and airflow
Part 5: Telecommunications cabling infrastructure
Part 6: Security systems and access control
Part 7: Management and operations

EMC considerations appear throughout the series, with particular emphasis in the power distribution and telecommunications cabling parts.

ISO/IEC 11801

ISO/IEC 11801 "Information technology - Generic cabling for customer premises" provides international cabling standards including the channel and link specifications that define EMC performance. The Class specifications (D, E, EA, F, FA) correspond to the TIA Category specifications and define crosstalk, return loss, and other parameters affecting EMC.

The data center cabling annex addresses the specific requirements of data center environments, including higher-speed cabling classes for the demanding requirements of modern network equipment.

ISO/IEC EMC Standards

The IEC 61000 series of EMC standards applies to equipment operating in data centers. While primarily product standards, these affect data center design through their assumptions about the operating environment:

IEC 61000-4-2: Electrostatic discharge immunity. Data center floor treatments and humidity control help equipment meet these requirements.

IEC 61000-4-4: Electrical fast transient/burst immunity. Power distribution quality affects equipment exposure to these transients.

IEC 61000-4-5: Surge immunity. Power system surge protection directly relates to these requirements.

IEC 61000-6-1 through 6-4: Generic emission and immunity standards that may apply to equipment without product-specific standards.

Uptime Institute Tiers

The Uptime Institute, an independent organization focused on data center performance, developed the widely recognized tier classification system. While not a formal standards body, Uptime Institute certifications are highly valued in the industry and influence data center design including EMC considerations.

Tier Classification Overview

The Uptime Institute tier system defines four levels of data center infrastructure capability:

Tier I - Basic Capacity: Non-redundant power and cooling. Annual downtime expectation of 28.8 hours (99.671% availability).

Tier II - Redundant Capacity Components: Adds N+1 redundancy for power and cooling components. Annual downtime expectation of 22 hours (99.749% availability).

Tier III - Concurrently Maintainable: Multiple distribution paths with one active, allowing any component to be maintained without service interruption. Annual downtime expectation of 1.6 hours (99.982% availability).

Tier IV - Fault Tolerant: Multiple active distribution paths with fault tolerance. Annual downtime expectation of 0.4 hours (99.995% availability).

EMC Implications of Tier Requirements

Each tier level has EMC implications through its infrastructure requirements:

Power system complexity: Higher tiers require more sophisticated power distribution with multiple paths, transfer switches, and UPS systems. Each additional component and path creates EMC considerations that must be managed.

Maintenance provisions: Concurrent maintainability (Tier III and above) requires that maintenance activities not affect operating equipment. From an EMC perspective, this means that work on power systems, cooling, or cabling must not create transients or interference affecting production systems.

Fault tolerance: Tier IV fault tolerance requires that single faults not cause service interruption. EMC events such as lightning, switching transients, or equipment failures must not propagate in ways that affect redundant equipment.

Certification Process

Uptime Institute offers multiple certification types:

Design Documents: Reviews facility design against tier requirements before construction.

Constructed Facility: Verifies that the built facility matches the certified design.

Operational Sustainability: Ongoing verification that facility operation maintains tier requirements.

EMC considerations are evaluated within the overall facility review, particularly regarding power system design, grounding, and the potential for single points of failure that could be triggered by electromagnetic events.

ASHRAE Guidelines

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) develops guidelines for data center environmental control. While primarily focused on thermal management, ASHRAE guidelines have EMC implications through their influence on cooling system design and environmental conditions.

ASHRAE TC 9.9 Publications

ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 (Mission Critical Facilities, Data Centers, Technology Spaces, and Electronic Equipment) produces guidelines specifically for data center environments:

Thermal Guidelines: The thermal guidelines define recommended and allowable environmental envelopes for data center equipment. These affect EMC indirectly through their influence on cooling system design and the potential for humidity-related issues.

Particulate and Gaseous Contamination Guidelines: Contaminant limits protect equipment from corrosion and other damage. While primarily a reliability concern, contamination can affect electrical contacts and shielding effectiveness.

Cooling System EMC Considerations

ASHRAE guidelines influence cooling system design in ways that affect EMC:

Variable speed drives: Energy-efficient cooling systems using variable-speed fans, pumps, and compressors require EMC attention as discussed in the infrastructure section.
Free cooling: Economizer modes that use outside air or water require additional mechanical systems with EMC implications.
Liquid cooling: Direct liquid cooling, increasingly used for high-density equipment, eliminates fan EMC concerns but introduces different considerations for pump drives and fluid distribution.

Environmental Conditions and EMC

Environmental conditions affect EMC performance:

Humidity: Low humidity increases ESD risk, while high humidity can cause corrosion affecting shielding and grounding connections. ASHRAE recommended ranges (typically 8-60% RH) help maintain EMC performance.

Temperature: Temperature affects component performance and can influence switching speeds and timing. Operating within ASHRAE recommended ranges helps maintain consistent EMC performance.

EN 50600 Series

The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) developed the EN 50600 series specifically for data center design. These standards are harmonized with ISO/IEC 22237 but include additional European requirements and reference European electromagnetic compatibility regulations.

EN 50600 Structure

The EN 50600 series mirrors the ISO/IEC 22237 structure with additional European content:

EN 50600-1: General concepts
EN 50600-2-1: Building construction
EN 50600-2-2: Power distribution systems
EN 50600-2-3: Environmental control
EN 50600-2-4: Telecommunications cabling infrastructure
EN 50600-2-5: Security systems
EN 50600-3 series: Management and operational information
EN 50600-4 series: Key performance indicators

EMC-Specific Requirements

EN 50600 includes specific EMC requirements referencing European EMC directives and harmonized standards:

Equipment compliance: Data center equipment must meet applicable EMC directive requirements, typically demonstrated through CE marking.

Installation practices: The standards reference European cabling standards (EN 50173 series) and installation standards that include EMC requirements.

Power quality: Requirements reference EN 50160 for voltage characteristics, which affects EMC through power quality specifications.

European Regulatory Context

EN 50600 operates within the European regulatory framework:

EMC Directive: Equipment installed in European data centers must comply with the EMC Directive (2014/30/EU), demonstrated through conformity assessment and CE marking.

Low Voltage Directive: Power distribution equipment must comply with the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU), which affects power quality and safety.

Radio Equipment Directive: Wireless equipment in data centers must comply with the Radio Equipment Directive (2014/53/EU).

Local Regulations

Beyond international and regional standards, local regulations affect data center EMC. These may include national implementations of international standards, local electrical codes, telecommunications regulations, and environmental requirements. Data center projects must identify and comply with all applicable local requirements.

National EMC Regulations

Most countries regulate electromagnetic emissions from electronic equipment. Key regulatory frameworks include:

United States: The FCC regulates radio frequency emissions under Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Equipment must be authorized through various procedures depending on device type. Building codes may reference standards like NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) affecting power distribution EMC.

European Union: The EMC Directive provides the regulatory framework, with EN standards providing the technical requirements. CE marking demonstrates compliance.

Other regions: Countries including Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and China have their own EMC regulatory frameworks, often aligned with international standards but with specific national requirements.

Electrical Code Requirements

National and local electrical codes affect data center EMC through their requirements for wiring, grounding, and power distribution:

Wiring methods: Code-specified wiring methods affect cable separation, conduit use, and other factors influencing EMC.
Grounding systems: Electrical code grounding requirements form the foundation for EMC grounding, though additional provisions may be needed for optimal EMC.
Surge protection: Codes may require surge protection at service entrances, affecting both safety and EMC.

Building and Zoning Requirements

Local building and zoning codes can affect data center EMC through:

Location restrictions: Separation from sensitive facilities (hospitals, research facilities) may be required.
Construction requirements: Building construction requirements may affect shielding options.
Generator restrictions: Limits on generator operation may affect power system design.

Carrier Requirements

Data centers hosting telecommunications carrier equipment or connecting to carrier networks must meet additional requirements beyond general data center standards. These carrier requirements often include EMC provisions to protect the carrier's network from interference originating in the data center.

Network Interface Requirements

Carriers specify requirements for connections to their networks:

Demarcation points: Clear demarcation between carrier and customer equipment, with EMC responsibilities on each side defined.

Interface specifications: Physical and electrical interface requirements including EMC-related parameters.

Isolation requirements: Galvanic isolation or filtering requirements at network interfaces.

Carrier Equipment Spaces

Carriers placing equipment in data centers may require:

Dedicated spaces: Separate caged or enclosed areas for carrier equipment with specific EMC environments.
Power quality: Specified power quality requirements possibly exceeding general data center specifications.
Grounding: Specific grounding requirements for carrier equipment and interconnections.

Carrier Certification Programs

Some carriers offer certification programs for data centers housing their equipment. These programs typically evaluate:

Power reliability and quality
Environmental control adequacy
Physical security
Connectivity options
Grounding and EMC provisions

Efficiency Impacts

Energy efficiency standards and initiatives increasingly affect data center design, with implications for EMC. Efficiency measures that change power distribution, cooling, or equipment selection can introduce EMC considerations that must be balanced against efficiency gains.

Energy Efficiency Regulations

Various jurisdictions regulate data center energy efficiency:

EU Ecodesign: The Ecodesign Directive establishes energy efficiency requirements for products including servers, which affect power supply designs and associated EMC.

US DOE requirements: Department of Energy efficiency requirements for UPS systems and other equipment affect product designs.

Local regulations: Some jurisdictions limit data center power usage or require minimum efficiency levels.

PUE and EMC

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is the primary metric for data center efficiency. Measures to improve PUE can affect EMC:

UPS efficiency modes: High-efficiency UPS operating modes may reduce power conditioning, potentially affecting power quality and EMC.

Variable-speed drives: Efficiency improvements from variable-speed cooling drives introduce EMC from the drive electronics.

Higher-voltage distribution: Distribution at 277V, 400V, or 480V reduces losses but may affect equipment EMC.

Renewable Energy Integration

Data centers increasingly incorporate renewable energy sources with EMC implications:

Solar inverters: Photovoltaic systems include inverters that generate switching noise and harmonics.

Wind interfaces: Wind turbine connections may introduce power quality variations.

Battery storage: Grid-scale battery systems include power electronics with EMC characteristics similar to UPS systems.

Compliance Strategies

Achieving compliance with multiple overlapping standards requires a systematic approach that identifies requirements early, integrates them into design, and verifies compliance through appropriate testing and documentation.

Requirements Analysis

The first step in compliance strategy is identifying all applicable requirements:

Geographic requirements: Identify regulations and standards applicable in the data center location.
Customer requirements: Determine any specific standards required by customers or tenants.
Carrier requirements: Identify requirements from telecommunications carriers using the facility.
Certification goals: Determine target certifications (Uptime Institute tier, LEED, etc.) affecting requirements.

Create a requirements matrix mapping all identified requirements to design elements. This matrix helps identify conflicts and gaps during design.

Design Integration

EMC requirements should integrate into the design process from the earliest stages:

Conceptual design: Site selection, building layout, and power/cooling architecture decisions should consider EMC implications.

Detailed design: Specific EMC design elements including grounding systems, cable pathways, and shielding should be detailed in construction documents.

Specification development: Equipment specifications should include EMC requirements for purchased equipment.

Design review: EMC-focused design reviews should verify that requirements are addressed before construction.

Construction Quality

EMC performance depends on proper construction:

Inspection: Regular inspection during construction verifies that EMC-related installations meet specifications.
Testing: Testing during construction can identify problems before they become difficult to correct.
Documentation: Documentation of EMC-related installations supports future maintenance and compliance verification.

Commissioning and Verification

Commissioning should include EMC verification:

Grounding system testing: Verify grounding system resistance, bonding continuity, and ground potential differences.

Power quality testing: Measure harmonics, voltage quality, and transient performance.

Cable plant testing: Verify cabling meets specified EMC performance including crosstalk and return loss.

Environmental measurement: Measure ambient electromagnetic environment to establish baseline.

Ongoing Compliance

Maintaining compliance requires ongoing attention:

Change management: Evaluate EMC implications of changes to equipment, cabling, or infrastructure.
Periodic testing: Regular testing verifies continued compliance, particularly for grounding systems that can degrade.
Standards updates: Monitor standards updates and assess impact on existing facilities.
Documentation maintenance: Keep compliance documentation current as changes occur.

Conclusion

Data center standards from organizations including TIA, ISO/IEC, Uptime Institute, ASHRAE, and CENELEC establish the requirements guiding data center design and operation. These standards address EMC directly through requirements for grounding, cable separation, and power quality, and indirectly through their influence on power distribution, cooling, and infrastructure design.

Compliance with multiple overlapping standards requires systematic requirements analysis, integrated design approaches, quality construction practices, and ongoing maintenance. The investment in compliance pays dividends through reliable operation, reduced troubleshooting costs, and the ability to meet customer requirements for certified facility performance.

The standards landscape continues to evolve with new technologies, efficiency requirements, and operating practices. Data center professionals must stay current with standards developments and assess their impact on both new facilities and existing operations. Effective standards compliance, including EMC-related requirements, contributes to the reliable, high-performance data center operations that modern computing depends upon.