Data center certifications target newcomers, experts, and sustainability pros

Enterprise sustainability initiatives and regulatory pressures are converging with rising energy costs and the massive power demands of AI workloads to make energy and sustainability certifications some of the fastest-growing credentials in the industry.

Uptime Institute Certified Data Center Energy Professional (CDCEP)

The CDCEP program focuses specifically on energy efficiency and management in data center operations.

• Focus: Energy efficiency and sustainability
• Format: Five-day class and pre-class study of about 20 hours, delivered in person or remotely in a virtual environment.
• Prerequisites: Experience working in a data center environment, preferably two years of technical IT or facilities experience
• Cost: $6,990
• Recertification: Required every three years
• Job roles: Energy manager, sustainability director
• Best for: Professionals focused on data center efficiency

Schneider Electric Professional Energy Manager (PEM)

Developed in partnership with the Institute of Energy Professionals, the PEM certification validates comprehensive energy management expertise.

• Focus: Comprehensive energy management
• Format: Online exam
• Cost: $400
• Prerequisites: None required but energy management experience recommended
• Recertification: Required every three years
• Job roles: Energy manager, facility manager
• Best for: Professionals specializing in energy optimization

Design and architecture certifications

These certifications focus on the planning and design aspects of data center infrastructure, crucial for new builds and modernization projects.

BICSI Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC)

This certification validates expertise in data center design principles and best practices.

• Focus: Data center design best practices
• Format: Two-hour exam, 100 questions, at a Pearson Vue exam center
• Cost: $510 (members), $725 (non-members)
• Prerequisites: Two years of data center design experience recommended
• Recertification: Every three years
• Job roles: Data center designer, infrastructure consultant
• Best for: Professionals focused on data center design and planning

Certified Data Centre Design Professional (CDCDP)

The CDCDP certification covers key elements associated with designing a data center, including best practice principles for the design, construction, and operation of computer rooms and data center operational support facilities. The program also addresses the importance of accurate interpretation of detailed customer requirements at the planning stage.

• Format: Five-day class and 20 hours of pre-class study.
• Prerequisites: Experience in a data center environment, preferably with two years of experience in a technical IT, operational or facilities role.
• Recertification: Every three years
• Cost: Around $4,000

The path forward

There are many factors to consider when choosing a certification. “It depends on the employer. It depends on the technology you’re working with. It depends on the industry, the job, the domain,” says Carnegie Mellon’s Beveridge.

From a hiring perspective, motivation matters as much as the certification itself, he says. “Hiring managers look for not just the certification but the motivation behind it,” he says. “Some people get the certification to keep up with the industry. Some to say that they want to pursue some other domain even if their current job doesn’t require it. From a hiring manager perspective, I find that extremely valuable. It tells me that the employee takes initiative, that they want to learn.”

Certifications can be particularly valuable for career transitions. “It gives them an idea of what that job entails,” says Beveridge. “I’ve had employees who were network people but wanted to shift into, say, firewalls, for example. And they went out and got the certification and said this is interesting, I like it, I want to pursue those skill sets. And it gives them experience and a chance to get their hands on the technology at a relatively low cost.”