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Cost & Energy Tool

Infrastructure TCO Calculator

Multi-year total cost of ownership for a server room or small on-prem data center — CapEx annualized over equipment lifetimes, OpEx driven by power (IT load × PUE × your rate), staffing and space. Scoped for 1–20 kW racks, not hyperscale.

Updated: July 8, 2026Planning reference

Quick Answer

Over 5–10 years, OpEx — especially power — usually outweighs the upfront CapEx.

Enter your scale (racks × kW), PUE, electricity rate and CapEx with realistic lifetimes. The calculator annualizes CapEx, adds power/staffing/space OpEx, and returns total TCO plus the per-rack and per-kW figures decision-makers compare. Optionally check it against a colocation quote.

Scale & Power

Facility scale

Server-room / small-DC range: 1–20 kW per rack. For PUE, 1.4–1.6 is typical air-cooled SME; measure yours with the PUE Calculator.

Your all-in business rate incl. taxes & grid fees — it's on your electricity bill. Typical: DE business ~0.19–0.25 · EU avg ~0.19 €/kWh. Same rate logic as the Energy Cost Calculator.

CapEx & Lifetimes

Capital costs

Site infrastructure (racks, UPS, cooling, PDU) typically costs more than the IT it hosts, but lives 2–3× longer — both are annualized straight-line.

OpEx

Operating costs

24/7 operation creates a fixed staffing floor that doesn't scale down with rack count — often the second-biggest OpEx after power.

SME scope — not hyperscale

This model is scoped for server rooms and small on-prem data centers (1–20 kW/rack, up to ~50 racks). AI/liquid-cooled hyperscale economics — 100 kW+ racks, €10M+/MW builds — are a different regime and deliberately out of scope.

Formula / Method

How the calculator works

IT load (racks × kW/rack) is multiplied by PUE to get facility power, then by 8,760 hours and your electricity rate for annual energy cost. CapEx is annualized straight-line over each lifetime — IT over its refresh cycle, infrastructure and build cost over the facility lifetime. Annual TCO is annualized CapEx plus all OpEx (energy, staffing, maintenance, space, network); the total multiplies that over your analysis period, and the per-rack / per-kW figures divide it back down to comparable KPIs.

Energy/yr = IT kW × PUE × 8,760 h × rate · Annual CapEx = IT/it-life + (infra+build)/infra-life

Inputs

Required inputs

Racks and kW/rack (or the IT load they imply), PUE, your all-in electricity rate, IT and infrastructure CapEx with lifetimes, staffing per year, and the analysis period. Optional: build/space cost or rent, network cost, maintenance % of CapEx, and a colocation quote to compare.

Uses

Where this helps

Building the business case for an on-prem server room, comparing an on-prem build against colocation quotes, budget planning across refresh cycles, and showing decision-makers the per-rack and per-kW cost their infrastructure actually runs at.

FAQ

TCO notes

Why does OpEx usually dominate TCO?

Over 5–10 years, power (IT load × PUE × your €/kWh) and staffing typically outweigh the upfront hardware spend — especially at EU and German electricity prices. A facility that costs €700k to equip can easily consume €1M+ in electricity and operations over the same period.

On-prem vs colocation — which is cheaper?

On-prem is CapEx-heavy (you buy the infrastructure), colocation is OpEx-heavy (you rent it monthly). Which wins depends on utilization, scale, your electricity rate and whether you already carry 24/7 staffing. Enter a colo quote and the calculator compares both over your chosen period.

Is this for hyperscale / AI data centers?

No — it's deliberately scoped for server rooms and small on-prem data centers at 1–20 kW per rack. AI and liquid-cooled hyperscale facilities (100 kW+ racks, €10M+ per MW builds) follow different economics and need a different model.

Learn More

Reference links

Project

Building the business case for on-prem infrastructure?

ITCOREOPS can support TCO modelling, on-prem vs colocation evaluation, infrastructure sizing and documentation for the decision.

Open project formVisit ITCOREOPS →

Disclaimer

Planning reference only

Planning-level model with straight-line CapEx annualization — not a financial or accounting statement (no discounting, depreciation schedules, taxes or financing costs). Figures depend entirely on your inputs; validate CapEx quotes, tariffs and staffing against real offers before deciding.

Workflow

Model TCO before committing to a build, refresh or colocation contract.

Use this calculator before signing hardware quotes or colo contracts, so the multi-year cost picture — not just the purchase price — drives the decision.

Use exact inputs ↑

Support

Need help with infrastructure cost planning?

For TCO modelling, on-prem vs colo evaluation, energy audits and operational infrastructure support, visit ITCOREOPS.

Visit ITCOREOPS →Email ITCOREOPS ✉

Feedback

Found a bug or calculation issue?

Report display problems, calculation issues or suggestions for improving this calculator.

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Worked example

Inputs: 10 racks @ 5 kW (50 kW IT), PUE 1.5, €0.30/kWh, IT CapEx €300k (5-yr refresh), infrastructure CapEx €400k (15-yr life), staffing €80k/yr, 5-year analysis.

Result: facility power 50 × 1.5 = 75 kW → 75 × 8,760 × 0.30 = €197,100/yr energy. Annualized CapEx: 300k/5 + 400k/15 = €86,667/yr. Annual TCO ≈ 197.1k + 80k + 86.7k =€363,767/yr → ≈€1.82M over 5 years; ≈€36,377 per rack/yr, ≈€7,275 per kW/yr.