Size a power POD — or the skid underneath it.
Set a target load and redundancy level, pick a transformer, switchgear, distribution, backup power, and cooling, then check your sizing instantly. Same tool either way — toggle POD for a walk-in enclosure with a footprint budget, or Skid for the open-frame version without the shell.
This is a first-pass sizing sandbox, not a substitute for a licensed engineer's load study or short-circuit/coordination study. It assumes 480V three-phase distribution and a flat 0.85 power factor throughout — the same kind of simplification used by the Engineering Calculators and the EE Practice Sandbox.
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Why these checks
Transformer & switchgear sizing
The transformer has to cover the critical load at a realistic power factor (0.85 assumed here), and the main switchgear has to be rated for at least the transformer's full output — same logic as any one-line diagram, just applied to a modular block instead of a full facility. Run the exact numbers on the Transformer Sizing Calculator.
Redundancy: N, N+1, 2N
N needs no standby path. N+1 needs a spare unit — a generator or UPS present covers it. 2N is stricter: it needs a generator (not just a UPS, since a UPS is a bridge, not a sustained source) sized to carry the entire load on its own, because a true 2N design duplicates the whole path rather than just adding a spare. See Data Center Power Equipment for the full explanation.
POD footprint vs. skid
POD mode adds a footprint budget — how many major equipment items reasonably fit inside a 10/20/40 ft-equivalent enclosure, a rough capacity heuristic rather than a scaled drawing. Skid mode drops that check entirely, since there's no shell to fit inside, and instead flags that every component sits exposed to weather.
Once the power block itself is sized, the Rack Elevation Builder handles the next level down — stacking the actual servers, switches, and storage that load sits behind, with its own U-space, circuit, and weight budgets.
Common questions
What's the difference between a POD and a skid in this tool?
Same equipment slots and the same sizing checks either way. POD mode adds one extra check — whether your picks fit inside the enclosure size class you selected. Skid mode drops that check and instead notes that every component is weather-exposed.
Are these checks a substitute for a real electrical design?
No. It's a simplified, first-pass sizing sandbox — 480V three-phase, flat 0.85 power factor, rough heat-load and footprint heuristics. Always use a licensed engineer's full study for actual design or code compliance.
Is this free and does it require an account?
Yes — free, runs entirely in your browser, no signup. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.