Who can carry out busbar and PDU thermography during data centre commissioning and load bank testing?

Busbar and PDU thermography during commissioning should be done by a certified electrical thermographer who attends while the load bank is running and reports against the busbar drawings. Ti Thermal Imaging does this on UK data centre builds: ITC Level 3 thermographers, a Level 3 certified company, imaging busbar runs, tap-off units and PDUs under test load before handover.

What the job actually needs

Three things, in one person or one team. First, recognised thermography certification, so the images are taken and read properly: emissivity, reflections off bare metal, and heat that comes from the test itself rather than from a connection. Second, enough electrical knowledge to follow a busbar system: feed units, straight lengths, joints, tap-offs and the PDUs they supply. Third, experience of working inside a commissioning programme, under the principal contractor’s permits, alongside the load bank team and the commissioning manager.

A camera on its own isn’t the skill. The value is in knowing where to look, when to look, and how to write it up so the installer can go straight to the right joint.

Who usually books it

On most builds the thermography is booked by the commissioning manager or the client’s representative, sometimes by the electrical contractor. An independent thermographer has one advantage: the installer gets a third-party record of their own work, and the client gets evidence for the handover pack that nobody marked themselves.

What to agree before the load bank window

Which test steps the thermographer attends. Agree it with the commissioning manager in advance, so imaging happens while the busbar and PDUs are carrying current, not while the load bank is being set up.
Access. Tap-off units and PDU incomers are opened, and closed again, by the installer’s authorised person. Our thermographers don’t remove covers.
Drawings and references. The busbar layout and PDU schedule, so every image is tied to a section or unit number.
Load records. Where the load bank or the equipment shows current, it is recorded with the image.
Photography rules. Thermal and visual images go in the report, so the site confirms what can be photographed.
Report format and timing. Agree it before the visit, so findings reach the installer while the hall is still a construction area.

What the report should give you

For each busbar section, tap-off and PDU inspected: a thermal image and a matching visual image, the measured temperature and a reference temperature, where the reading was taken, the load at the time where it was available, and the drawing reference. Anything that couldn’t be opened or seen is listed as not inspected, with the reason. Ti inspects and reports; the installer investigates any finding and carries out any work, and the section can then be re-imaged on a later test.

What it found on one London build

On a London data centre build this autumn, our commissioning thermography recorded 16 busbar sections reading above 80 °C under test load, the highest 103.5 °C at a tap-off unit. Each one was located against the drawings, so the installer could find it, check it and have it re-imaged before handover. Client and site are not named.

Frequently asked questions

Can the installer carry out the thermography themselves?

They can, if they have certified thermographers. Many clients still want an independent record of the installer’s joints for the handover pack.

Does the thermographer need to be there for the whole load bank test?

Not always. Agree the steps that matter with the commissioning manager, usually the ones where the busbar and PDUs carry the most current.

Can PDUs be imaged on the same visit as the busbar?

Yes, if they are energised and loaded during the same test. Agree access to PDU incomers and outgoing ways in advance.