Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) Training Program
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The DOE/FEMP and industry programme that qualifies practitioners to identify and evaluate data centre energy efficiency opportunities using DC Pro and the DOE assessment tools.
On this page
Overview
The Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) programme is a joint effort of the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and industry. It qualifies practitioners to identify and evaluate data centre energy efficiency opportunities using DC Pro and the DOE assessment tools. The programme page is run by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Four courses are offered: Generalist (1 day), HVAC Specialist (2 days), IT Specialist (added 2019) and Electrical Specialist (launched 2025). Training is delivered by professional training organisations, with exams for each level. Four training organisations deliver the courses, with ANCIS Incorporated as the lead training organisation.
The regulatory dimension also matters. The Energy Act of 2020 says federal agencies should consider DCEP evaluations of their data centres every 4 years. DOE Order 436.1A (2023) requires DOE elements to have their data centres evaluated by DCEPs every four years.
The limit of the document is that it presents a training and qualification programme and contains no technical criteria or calculation method. The obligations apply to US federal agencies and are not directly binding in Turkey. Even so, the programme offers a framework for the scope of data centre energy audits (HVAC, IT, electrical).
Key points
- Four courses: Generalist (1 day), HVAC Specialist (2 days), IT Specialist (added 2019) and Electrical Specialist (launched 2025).
- The Energy Act of 2020 says federal agencies should consider DCEP evaluations of their data centres every 4 years.
- DOE Order 436.1A (2023) requires DOE elements to have data centres evaluated by DCEPs every four years.
- Training is delivered by four training organisations, with ANCIS Incorporated as lead.
- The programme uses DC Pro and the DOE assessment tools.
- Exams are held for each level.
Using it in design
- For US federal projects, add a compliance reminder for 4-yearly DCEP assessments.
- Let reports export in a DCEP-friendly format (DC Pro end-use breakdown).
- Split the energy audit scope into HVAC, IT and electrical headings.
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Who should read it
Practitioners carrying out data centre energy assessments and those tracking US federal compliance requirements.
Related standards
- Energy Act of 2020
- DOE Order 436.1A
Publication details
- Authors
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Publisher
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program
- Year
- 2026
- Document language
- English
- Source type
- Government / public
- Access
- Free to read
- Licence
- Copyright retained; citation only — the publisher’s terms apply to the original document
Original licence note
LBNL (contractor-operated DOE laboratory) resource; not US-Gov public domain. Cited only.
Citation
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2026). Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP) Training Program. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program. https://datacenters.lbl.gov/dcep
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Related sources
All sources on this topicLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / U.S. Department of Energy 2022
DOE Data Center Energy Assessment Process Manual, v3 (March 2022)
Mirror this process in the audit workflow of the operations module: pre-visit data request, on-site measurements, report.
- Current file: DOE v3 dated 03/22/22 (2.54 MB).
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2014
Data Center Energy Efficiency Measurement Assessment Kit: Guide and Specification (DRAFT, July 25, 2014)
Borrow the metric set (PUE, intake temperature and humidity, RTI, cooling efficiency, airflow efficiency, distribution efficiency) as the minimum list of measurements a monitoring design must support.
- The wireless gateway (120 V house power) must have at least 72 hours of battery backup.
U.S. General Services Administration (Public Buildings Service) 2020
GSA Commissioning Guide (September 2020)
Set up the commissioning plan at the start of a data center project: review the OPR and basis of design with the CxP and write measurable performance targets.
- At 10 months into a 12-month warranty period the CxP, operations office and CMa review systems for warranty repairs.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2025
DOE Data Center Load Flexibility Workshop Summary
Add a demand-flexibility scenario to the energy model: curtailable IT share and on-site generation or BESS dispatch.
- Workshop held 1 November 2024 with 49 participants.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers) / U.S. DOE FEMP 2020
Data Center Master List of Energy Efficiency Measures, Version 2.0 (September 2020)
Compare the planned UPS module count and redundancy scheme against the load curve: check the per-unit load at day-one and at full build, and consider modular units or switching off surplus modules.
- Variable-speed chillers usually peak at 60-80% of full load; constant-speed chillers peak at full load.
arXiv preprint (University of Alberta) 2026
To Defer or To Shift? The Role of AI Data Center Flexibility on Grid Interconnection
In large-load interconnection negotiation, present AI load flexibility (a deferral window of up to about 3 hours) as a lever for interconnection capacity and timing; returns diminish beyond 3 hours.
- In the IEEE 14-bus study, data centres on buses connected to congested lines benefit most from geographic load shifting.