Working on an audit for a 24/7 data center in Phoenix and something's off with their APS interval data. The load profile shows major dips every Sunday from 2-6am, dropping from 850 kW to 200 kW consistently. Data centers don't just shut down 75% of their load for maintenance windows. Either there's a major billing error or this facility isn't what they claim to be. What red flags do you look for when the load profile doesn't match the business operations?
Load profile doesn't match facility operations - red flags to look for
Christie, that's definitely suspicious. True data centers maintain steady base loads for cooling even during maintenance. Could be a shared meter situation - maybe they're on the same service as adjacent businesses that shut down weekends? Or possibly the "data center" is really just server rooms within a larger facility. I'd verify the actual business operations before assuming it's a billing error.
Howard's right about verifying operations first. We had a "manufacturing plant" in Memphis that showed zero weekend usage - turned out to be a cryptocurrency mining operation that shut down during peak rate periods. The interval data doesn't lie, but businesses don't always tell the truth about their operations. Look for patterns that correlate with rate schedules, holidays, or weather conditions.
Randy, that's a great point about crypto operations. This client did mention "high-performance computing" which could be code for mining. The Sunday dips might be planned shutdowns during APS's highest TOU periods. I'll dig deeper into their actual business model before assuming there's a meter problem. Sometimes the load profile tells the real story about what's happening at a facility.
Christie, I've audited several "data centers" here in Orlando that were actually bitcoin mining operations. They typically shut down during peak hours to avoid demand charges and high TOU rates. FPL's Sunday morning rates are lower than weekday peaks, but not enough to justify a 75% load drop for legitimate data centers. Your client is probably gaming the rate schedule rather than running critical infrastructure.