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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPower Loft @ Innovation separated computing from the systems that kept it running: its raised-floor IT environment was on the second story, above ground-floor mechanical, cooling, and electrical distribution equipment. That vertical arrangement shaped the facility’s security zoning, service access, power delivery, cooling strategy, and capacity for expansion.
The Manassas, Virginia, project is historical: Clark Construction reported substantial completion on March 6, 2008. The figures below describe the project or specific historical reports, not its present-day operating status or performance.
How did the two-story design work?
In a conventional single-level arrangement, servers and much of the infrastructure serving them may share the same floor. Power Loft instead made the separation architectural: the raised-floor IT environment occupied the upper story, while mechanical and air-handling equipment and electrical distribution occupied the ground level. Clark Construction described the arrangement as putting “all IT equipment on the second floor and directly above the building’s mechanical and electrical distribution equipment.”
Keeping the server area apart from service infrastructure created distinct zones for computing and building systems. The arrangement was intended to support security zoning and give technicians access to infrastructure without treating the server floor as the only place to work. It also let the project plan rack space, cooling, and distribution as connected but physically separated parts of the building. The available project descriptions establish that design intent; they do not document specific access-control procedures or quantify its security results.
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- Save valuable floor space: 6U wall mount server cabinet Dimensions: 13.78" H x21.65" W x17.72" D.Maximum mounting depth is 14.2"
- Keep critical network equipment secure: glass door and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access. Front door can be installed on either side of the front of the cabinet to satisfy your door swing orientation preference
- Easy equipment configuration: Fully adjustable mounting rails and numbered U positions, with square holes for easy equipment mounting with top and bottom punch-out panels for easy cable access
- Durability: Made of high quality cold rolled steel holds up to 110lb (50kg) (Easy Assembly Required)
- PCI & HIPPA and EIA/ECA-310-E compliant
How were cooling and power arranged?
Cooling and mechanical plant
Power Loft used chilled-water cooling and located mechanical equipment in separate, pre-engineered structures. The vertical separation made the IT floor a distinct environment above the service level, while the cooling plant and air-handling systems served the computing space.
MTU’s case study says this two-story arrangement improves cooling efficiency by 50% compared with conventional designs. That is a manufacturer case-study claim, not an independently audited or generally applicable measurement; the case study’s claim should not be read as a verified result for every operating condition.
UPS, generators, and distribution
The electrical design combined separate power plants with a backbone capable of delivering AC power, DC power, or both to the data floor. Historical trade coverage reported 50 megawatts of utility capacity in 2010 and described the distribution system as a flexible AC/DC hybrid. That utility-capacity figure is a report about the project at that time, not a statement of current available capacity.
For the phase described in MTU’s case study, five HiTec rotary UPS units were powered by MTU engines, with additional static UPS equipment. MTU reported 9 MW of uninterruptible power for critical loads in that phase. The case study does not establish that these figures describe every phase or the facility’s present configuration.
Rank #2
- Save valuable floor space: 12U wall mount server cabinet Dimensions: 24.25" H x21.65" W x17.72" D. MAXIMUM MOUNTING DEPTH is 14.2".
- Keep critical network equipment secure: glass door and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access; Front door can be installed on either side of the front of the cabinet to satisfy your door swing orientation preference
- Easy equipment configuration: Fully adjustable mounting rails and numbered U positions, with square holes for easy equipment mounting with top and bottom punchout panels for easy cable access
- Durability: Made of high quality cold rolled steel holds up to 110lb (50kg) (Easy Assembly Required)
- PCI & HIPPA and EIA/ECA-310-E compliant
In practical terms, the UPS equipment provided backup power for critical loads, while the engine-backed rotary units and additional static equipment formed part of the power-resilience design. The AC/DC capability gave the data-floor distribution more than one delivery option; the source descriptions do not specify which loads used each type or provide a circuit-by-circuit layout.
How did modular expansion fit the design?
MTU describes growth in modular increments of 50,000 raised square feet, with power density ranging from 100 to more than 300 watts per raised square foot. Those are case-study specifications for the described design, not a measured description of every installed module.
Clark Construction’s 2011 newsletter documents later east-module work that included additional raised floor, redundant UPS capacity, chillers, substations, generators, and fan-wall air handlers. The work shows how expansion involved adding both IT space and the supporting infrastructure needed to serve it, rather than simply filling unused floor area with racks.
What sustainability features were reported?
Reported features included a reflective roof, chilled-water cooling, a 100,000-square-foot green roof, and vegetated exterior walls described as a full-height green screen. NOVEC described the planted roof and living ivy exterior as elements of a LEED-oriented design. These are project features and design descriptions; they do not by themselves establish a particular energy-use outcome.
Rank #3
- Sturdy:4u server rack is construct from cold rolled steel, with a weight capacity of 110lbs(50kg); Electrostatic powder coat prevents rust and corrosion,quality finish
- Direct use:Open and use, not having to assemble it.Network rack can be placed flat or mounted on the wall,also can be installed vertically under the table
- Design Features:maximum mounting depth of 14 in,cables can be fixed on the side panel;Open frame server rack achieves effortless inspection, replacement and assemble
- Installation:wall mount network rack is easy to install,with instructions or videos for reference;Equipped with multiple accessories, suitable for different needs
- Application:EIA/ECA-310-E Compliant;wall mounted 4u rack fits all 19" racks and cabinets to hold various IT, network, and AV equipment;wall mount rack available in 4U, 6U, and 8U to choose
MTU’s case study attributes to Dave Ruppe, Power Loft Services’ chief technical officer, an estimate of annual environmental savings equivalent to 270,000 barrels of oil or 571 railroad cars of coal. This is a reported equivalency, not an independently verified measurement presented in the available sources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large was the project, and what was its certification?
Clark Construction described the original building in 2008 as a 215,000-square-foot, two-story data-center and office building. In 2010, Data Center Knowledge reported 50 megawatts of utility capacity; Rubicon Professional Services reported that more than $20 million of infrastructure hardware and equipment had been procured and integrated. The latter is a reported procurement figure, not the total construction cost.
Historical sources give different LEED certification levels. Data Center Knowledge called the project LEED Silver in its 2010 opening coverage, while MTU’s later case study calls it LEED Gold. These source- and phase-specific descriptions do not resolve the discrepancy, so neither level should be presented as an uncontested certification history.
What distinguishes Power Loft from a conventional data center?
Its defining difference was not a single piece of equipment, but the way the building organized computing and support systems. Power Loft put the raised-floor IT environment above mechanical and electrical infrastructure, paired that separation with a flexible AC/DC power backbone and modular growth plans, and incorporated substantial planted roof and exterior features. That makes it a useful example of a facility designed around vertical separation and planned expansion; the available historical descriptions do not establish a like-for-like performance comparison with conventional data centers.
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