Skip to content
EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Data Centre and MEP Testing and Commissioning (L1 to L5)

How a data centre and its critical MEP systems are proved before go-live: the commissioning process, OPR and basis of design, commissioning levels L1 to L5, FAT and SAT, electrical pre-functional tests, protection injection, UPS, battery, generator and ATS testing, load banks and heat load tests, chilled water flushing and hydro tests, liquid cooling, BMS and EPMS point-to-point checks, integrated systems testing, the issues log and handover.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
14
Video
18 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain the commissioning process and who does what; turn an OPR into measurable acceptance criteria; plan commissioning levels L1 to L5 and write test scripts with prerequisites, expected results and sign-offs; witness a FAT and run a SAT; read insulation resistance, polarisation index, contact resistance and thermography results; check protection by secondary and primary injection; test UPS modes, batteries, generators and ATS with load banks; run a heat load test and close its energy balance; supervise chilled water and liquid cooling flushing, hydro tests and TAB; run BMS and EPMS point-to-point checks; plan and witness an integrated systems test; and manage the issues log, punch list, training and handover.

  • Turn an OPR into measurable acceptance criteria and plan commissioning levels L0 to L5
  • Write test scripts with prerequisites, expected results, abort criteria and sign-offs
  • Witness a FAT, run L2 installation checks and a site acceptance test
  • Read insulation resistance, PI, contact resistance and thermography results, and check protection by injection
  • Test UPS transfers and batteries, generators, ATS and paralleling with load banks
  • Run a heat load test, close the energy balance, and supervise flushing, hydro tests and TAB
  • Commission CDUs and liquid cooling loops, and run BMS and EPMS point-to-point checks
  • Plan a black building integrated systems test and close issues and punch lists on evidence

Software

A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for test scripts, the issues log and the calculations, and a PDF reader for the free GSA Commissioning Guide. No commissioning software is required: commercial commissioning platforms hold the same scripts, checklists and issues as the spreadsheet templates used here.

Hardware

None. Test instruments, load banks and analysers are shown in the lessons; you do not need your own.

Syllabus

14 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Commissioning explained: process, OPR, basis of design and roles4 lessons
  2. 2Commissioning levels L0 to L5, the Cx plan and test scripts4 lessons
  3. 3FAT, SAT and installation checks (L1 and L2)3 lessons
  4. 4Electrical pre-functional tests: insulation, contact resistance, torque and thermography1 lesson
  5. 5Switchgear protection: secondary and primary injection2 lessons
  6. 6UPS and battery testing2 lessonsLab
  7. 7Generators, ATS and load bank testing4 lessonsLab
  8. 8Heat load testing and load banks in the data hall1 lessonLab
  9. 9Chilled water systems: flushing, hydro test, water treatment and TAB2 lessons
  10. 10Liquid cooling: CDUs, technology cooling loops and commissioning3 lessons
  11. 11BMS and EPMS: point-to-point checks, sequences and alarms2 lessons
  12. 12Integrated systems testing (L5) and the black building test2 lessonsLab
  13. 13Issues log, punch list, training and handover4 lessonsLab
  14. 14Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Lose a power feed, find a hot spot and read cooling and power loads against limits in the Lab's data-centre simulator.

Works alongside Data Centre and MEP Testing and Commissioning (L1 to L5). The Lab is data-centre power and cooling practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Data-centre power and cooling: Run an AI data hall.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Data Centre and MEP Testing and Commissioning (L1 to L5)

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

What is data centre commissioning?
Data centre commissioning is the documented process of proving, level by level, that a data centre's power, cooling, controls and monitoring meet the owner's requirements before any IT load goes live. It starts with the Owner's Project Requirements, runs through factory, installation, start-up and functional tests, and ends with an integrated systems test, training and handover.
What are the L1 to L5 commissioning levels?
L1 is the factory acceptance test, L2 is delivery and installation verification, L3 is start-up and pre-functional testing, L4 is the functional performance test of each system, and L5 is the integrated systems test of all systems together under failure scenarios. Many projects add L0 for design review; each level starts only when the one below is signed.
Who is this commissioning course for?
It is for electrical and mechanical engineers, technicians and site supervisors who want to work as commissioning engineers on data centres and other critical MEP projects, and for operations staff who will accept a new facility. You need basic electrical power and HVAC knowledge, not commissioning experience.
Do I need software or test equipment?
No. A spreadsheet such as LibreOffice Calc is enough for the test scripts, the issues log and every calculation, and the free GSA Commissioning Guide is the reference document. Instruments, load banks and analysers are shown in the lessons.
Is the course free to learn, and how long does it take?
Yes, every module, the notes, worked problems, practice tasks, the optional project and the final assessment are free to learn. The course takes about 18 hours at your own pace, of which about 12 hours is video; the optional project takes about 12 hours more.
Which standards and guides does the course follow?
It follows the commissioning process of ASHRAE Guideline 0 and Standard 202 and the free GSA Commissioning Guide, with test practice from IEC 60364-6, IEC 62040-3 for UPS, ISO 8528 for generators, IEEE 450 for batteries, NETA acceptance testing and BSRIA BG 29 for flushing. Standards are paraphrased, never copied, and the project specification always governs.
What certificate do I get, and how is it verified?
You get a verifiable certificate of completion when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score. It is not a CxA, CCP or other commissioning credential, and the course is not affiliated with ASHRAE, NETA, ACG or BCxA.
What jobs does this lead to, including in the Gulf?
It prepares you for roles such as commissioning engineer, commissioning technician, electrical or mechanical test engineer and commissioning manager's assistant on data centre and critical facility projects. Data centre builds in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar advertise these roles with L1 to L5 commissioning named in the job description, as do hyperscale projects in Europe and North America.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module