← All glossary terms

Finance, Valuation, and Incentives

MW valuation

MW valuation expresses value relative to contracted, deliverable, or usable MW. It is useful in powered-land markets but can mislead unless the MW basis, timing, reliability, and obligations are clear.

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Mechanical load

Mechanical load is the power used by cooling and air or liquid-handling systems. It is a major contributor to the gap between IT load and total facility load, especially in hot climates or air-cooled high-density facilities.

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Tier IV

Tier IV is fault tolerant and concurrently maintainable, meaning an individual equipment failure or distribution path interruption should not affect operations. It is the highest Uptime tier and typically implies higher cost, space, and operational rigor.

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Special use permit

Special use permit is local approval for a use that is allowed only after discretionary review and conditions. Data centers may trigger special use review due to scale, utility infrastructure, noise, traffic, generators, water use, or community concerns.

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