Proposal:Data center technical attributes

Data center technical attributes
Proposal status:	Proposed (under way)
Proposed by:	LunaLune
Tagging:	data_center:tier=*, data_center:total_power=*, data_center:IT_power=*, data_center:IT_area=*
Applies to:	/ /
Definition:	Additional attributes for telecom=data_center to describe technical specifications: redundancy tier, power capacity, IT load, and usable floor area
Draft started:	2026-05-04
RFC start:	2026-05-12

Proposal

This proposal introduces four new optional tags to enrich the description of telecom=data_center facilities:

• data_center:tier=* : Uptime Institute certification tier (I, II, III, or IV)
• data_center:total_power=* : Maximum electrical power capacity of the entire facility (in kW or MW)
• data_center:IT_power=* : Maximum power available for IT equipment only (excluding cooling, UPS losses, etc.)
• data_center:IT_area=* : Usable floor area dedicated to server racks and IT infrastructure (in m²)

These tags apply to elements tagged with telecom=data_center.

Rationale

Why these tags?

As critical infrastructure with significant technical diversity, datacenters benefit greatly from the addition of standardized attributes. These tags facilitate enhanced infrastructure mapping by supporting initiatives like Open Infrastructure Map or DCWatch, enable more accurate energy analysis for estimating regional and national power consumption and carbon footprints, and assist researchers and policymakers in capacity planning by clarifying the distribution of digital infrastructure

Verifiability

All proposed tags are designed to be verifiable:

• data_center:tier=*: Based on publicly advertised Uptime Institute certification or operator documentation
• data_center:total_power=* / data_center:IT_power=*: Found in technical datasheets, operator websites, or planning documents
• data_center:IT_area=*: Measurable from floor plans, or public documentation

Users can also use the source:*=* tag to indicate the source of data for a specific tag(See Examples).

Therefore, these are not subjective ratings but documented technical specifications, aligning with OSM's Verifiability principle.

Compatibility with existing practices

In line with generator:output:*=* for power=generator tag, quantities uses SI units with explicit suffixes (`kW`, `MW`, `m²`).

Comparison with similar tags

Existing tag	Purpose	Why new tags are needed
generator:output:*=* (power=generator)	Max output power of a generator	Datacenters have multiple input power metrics (total vs IT load)
building:levels=*	Number of above ground levels in the building facades	Does not describe usable IT space
operator=*	Who runs or owns a data center	Does not describe technical specifications

Tagging

data_center:tier=*

Value	Description
I	Basic infrastructure, single path, no redundancy
II	Partial redundancy (N+1 for some components)
III	Concurrent maintainability, N+1 redundancy for all systems
IV	Fault tolerance, 2N redundancy, multiple active distribution paths

These values could be found by consulting the Uptime Institute documentation or the operator statement.

Usage notes:

• Only use if the tier is officially certified by the Uptime Institute or explicitly stated by the operator
• Do not infer tier from visual inspection alone
• Usage: data_center:tier=III

data_center:total_power=*

Parameter	Details
Definition	Maximum electrical power capacity that can be delivered to the entire facility, including IT load, cooling, lighting, and auxiliary systems
Unit	Kilowatts (`kW`) or Megawatts (`MW`). Always include the unit suffix.
Verification	Operator technical documentation, public planning applications, or utility connection records

Usage: data_center:total_power=8.2 MW

data_center:IT_power=*

Parameter	Details
Definition	Maximum electrical power available for IT equipment (servers, storage, networking) on the raised floor or in server halls. Explicitly excludes power for cooling systems, UPS losses, lighting, and office spaces.
Unit	Kilowatts (`kW`) or Megawatts (`MW`). Always include the unit suffix.
Verification	Technical datasheets, operator specifications, or design documents

Important: This tag should NOT include power for:

• Cooling equipment (CRAC/CRAH units)
• Uninterruptible Power Supply(UPS) conversion losses
• Lighting or office areas
• Security or auxiliary systems

Usage: data_center:IT_power=3.2 kW

Relationship with total_power:

• Usually data_center:IT_power=* should always be ≤ data_center:total_power=*. The difference represents overhead for cooling and infrastructure.
• In some rare cases, data_center:IT_power=* > data_center:total_power=*. This may be due to on-site energy generation (gas turbines, solar panels, etc.). Users should therefore check the exact source (difference between pre-construction forecasts and actual values once the data center is operational).

data_center:IT_area=*

Parameter	Details
Definition	Total floor area exclusively used for IT equipment: server racks, network cabinets, and associated cabling infrastructure. This refers to the total area of the entire building, i.e., the sum of the areas of the various floors if there are multiple floors(building:levels=*). Excludes lobbies, offices, cooling plant rooms, electrical rooms, and corridors not containing racks.
Unit	Square metres (`m²`). Always include the unit suffix.
Verification	Floor plans, operator documentation, or measurable from imagery for new constructions

Usage: data_center:IT_area=850 m²

Note: This is distinct from the total building footprint. It specifically refers to revenue-generating or operational IT space.

Examples

The data in these examples comes from various sources (OSM, technical data sheets, articles).

Example 1: Edge Data Center

 256764286 256764286
 building = yes
 telecom = data_center
 name = nLighten Chester 
 operator = nLighten UK Ltd
 ref: MAN1 
 ref:GB:uprn = 10000083172
 data_center:tier = III
 data_center:total_power = 6000 kW
 data_center:IT_power = 3 MW 
 data_center:IT_area = 2040 m²
 website = https://www.nlighten.com/en/edge-location/chester/ 
 source:data_center:IT_power = https://www.2bm.co.uk/case-studies/nlighten-chester/

Example 2: Digital Realty MRS3

 159863825 159863825
 telecom = data_center
 name = Digital Realty MRS3
 operator = Digital Realty
 operator:wikidata = Q5275969
 ref = MRS3
 building = data_center
 data_center:IT_area = 7100 m²
 source:data_center:IT_area = https://www.digitalrealty.com/data-centers/emea/marseille/mrs3

Example 3: Stockley Park Data Centres

 705085806 705085806
 telecom = data_center
 name = Virtus London5
 operator = Virtus
 website = https://virtusdatacentres.com/locations/uk/london/london5-stockley-park
 wikidata = Q138426503
 data_center:tier = III
 data_center:IT_power = 24 MW
 data_center:IT_area = 10000 m²

Example 4: Digital Realty PAR12

 846779443 846779443
 telecom = data_center
 name = Digital Realty PAR12
 operator = Digital Realty
 ref = PAR12
 building = data_center
 operator:wikidata = Q5275969
 website = https://www.digitalrealty.com/data-centers/emea/paris/par12
 data_center:IT_area = 5630 m²

Impact on Data Consumers

These tags are data attributes, so that both data consumers and visual rendering could use it. For example, these technical data could be displayed in Open Infrastructure Map or DCWatch.

Features/Pages affected

If approved, the following wiki pages should be created or updated:

• Tag:telecom=data_center : Add new tags to the tagging table
• Key:data_center:tier, Key:data_center:total_power, Key:data_center:IT_power, Key:data_center:IT_area : New dedicated key pages

External discussions

Here is the RFC link for this proposal.

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.