It has been almost three years since the ASHRAE 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers was finalized and went into effect in 2016, yet even today, many in the data center industry are not fully aware of its existence or its implications.

The critical facilities industry relies on industry standards to establish the minimum requirements necessary to design, build, and operate critical sites. Some of these standards get adopted by federal, state, and local governments through legislation as enforceable codes.

Until recently, electrical enclosure manufacturers faced a challenge: In order to build enclosures that were UL 50E Type rated, additional testing and evaluation of the enclosure was almost always required due to the unknown compliance status of components, such as hinges and latches used in these enclosures.