Vertiv SR2N04020PAA1 4-Rack 20kW Power-Redundant Row Cooling Pod

The Vertiv SR2N04020PAA1 is a factory-configured, four-rack row-cooling pod delivering 20 kW of total IT capacity with built-in power redundancy — the right choice for edge data rooms and dense compute deployments where a single PDU failure cannot be an acceptable outage event. Four 42U x 600 x 1400 mm racks are pre-integrated at 3,300 mm total row length, shipped as a validated assembly rather than a field-assembled collection of components.

Overview

The SR2N04020PAA1 sits in the middle of the Vertiv SR2 row-cooling lineup, spanning 2-rack through 5-rack configurations from 10 kW to 20 kW. The four-rack, 20 kW build gives each rack a 5 kW per-cabinet ceiling — sufficient for typical 1U/2U servers, network switches, and mid-density data center cooling loads without exceeding the thermal envelope of a single in-row cooling unit. If your per-rack load is already pushing past 5 kW, that is the clearest signal to size up before deployment.

Key Features

• 20 kW Total IT Capacity via 20kW PMC Distribution: The Power Management Controller ties all four racks into a single managed power distribution architecture. Centralized PMC means you get a unified view of load across the row rather than four independent PDUs reporting independently — essential when you need to balance draw before adding another blade chassis.
• Power Redundancy — 8 PDUs across 4 racks: The PAA1 suffix designates the power-redundant variant within the SR2N04020 family. Eight 30 A PDUs (two per rack) provide an A+B feed to every rack. If one feed trips, the other sustains the load without a service window. The baseline NAA1 variant ships with only four PDUs — half the redundancy.
• Single In-Row Cooling Unit: One cooling module handles the full 20 kW row load. This keeps the footprint lean and reduces mechanical complexity versus the FAA1 variant, which adds a second cooling unit for N+1 thermal redundancy. If your site's ambient conditions are stable and the 20 kW ceiling won't be pushed hard, one unit is the correct call.
• 42U x 600 x 1400 mm Cabinet Form Factor: Standard 600 mm width fits most raised-floor tile grids and cable management pathways without aisle modifications. The 1400 mm depth accommodates full-depth server rack enclosures and dual-post patch panels simultaneously.
• 3,300 mm Row Length: The assembled row spans 3.3 meters — plan your aisle containment and hot-aisle barriers to this dimension before site delivery. The fire-suppression variant (FAA1) adds a suppression enclosure bay and runs 3,600 mm; if your facilities team requires integrated suppression, budget for the additional 300 mm.
• Pre-Validated Factory Assembly: Row pods are integrated and tested before shipment. Field assembly of four independent racks introduces alignment risk and extends commissioning time. Factory integration reduces that risk and gets the row powered and cooled faster.

Integration and Compatibility

The SR2N04020PAA1 integrates with Vertiv's broader data center infrastructure management ecosystem. The PMC distribution layer is designed for connection to Vertiv's monitoring and management platforms. Verify compatibility with your building management system's SNMP or Modbus interfaces before commissioning — the PMC is the integration point, not the individual PDUs. If your site already runs Vertiv UPS or thermal management hardware, the SR2 row pod is designed to operate within that same management envelope.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the per-rack power ceiling on the SR2N04020PAA1?

A: Each of the four 42U racks supports up to 5 kW of IT load, for a combined row total of 20 kW managed through the 20kW PMC distribution system.

Q: What distinguishes the PAA1 variant from the NAA1 and FAA1 in the same four-rack, 20kW family?

A: The NAA1 (SR2N04020NAA1) ships with 4 PDUs — one per rack, no power redundancy. The PAA1 (SR2N04020PAA1) ships with 8 PDUs — two per rack, providing A+B power feeds and power redundancy at the rack level. The FAA1 (SR2N04020FAA1) adds a second cooling unit for thermal redundancy and extends row length to 3,600 mm. Choose PAA1 when power redundancy is required but a second cooling unit is not.

Q: How many PDUs does the SR2N04020PAA1 include, and what is their amperage rating?

A: Eight PDUs, each rated at 30 A, distributed two per rack across the four-cabinet row.

Q: Does the SR2N04020PAA1 include fire suppression?

A: No. The AAA1 suffix models in the SR2 family do not include fire suppression. The AAA2 suffix variants (e.g., SR2N04020PAA2) include integrated fire suppression and run slightly longer at 3,900 mm for the four-rack build.

Q: What is the overall installed length of the SR2N04020PAA1 row?

A: 3,300 mm (approximately 10 ft 10 in). Plan hot-aisle containment and cable management pathways to this dimension before delivery.

James Everett

The SR2N04020PAA1 is the build I recommend when a customer needs the four-rack, 20 kW SR2 row configuration and cannot tolerate a single PDU failure taking down half the cabinets. The eight 30 A PDUs — two per rack — give you true A+B feed redundancy at every cabinet without stepping up to the FAA1 with its second cooling unit and 300 mm longer footprint.

Technical Highlights:

• 8x 30A PDUs (2 per rack): A+B power feeds across all four cabinets mean a tripped breaker or failed PDU does not interrupt the load — the surviving feed sustains the rack until the fault is cleared. The NAA1 variant at four PDUs provides no such safety net.
• 20kW PMC Distribution: Centralized Power Management Controller aggregates load visibility across the entire 3,300 mm row. This is the integration point for your DCIM or BMS — not the individual PDUs. Get the PMC's management interface confirmed with your BMS team before commissioning.
• 5 kW per rack ceiling: With four racks sharing a single 20 kW cooling unit, sustained loads above 5 kW per cabinet will stress the thermal envelope. This configuration is well-matched to standard 1U/2U server density; blade-heavy or GPU compute should be evaluated against the per-rack ceiling before ordering.

Deployment Considerations:

• The 3,300 mm row length is fixed at the factory — hot-aisle containment panels, blanking kits, and overhead cable trays must be spec'd to this dimension before site delivery, not after.
• If your facilities team mandates integrated fire suppression or N+1 cooling redundancy, the SR2N04020FAA1 is the correct SKU; it adds a second cooling unit and a suppression bay but extends the row to 3,600 mm — verify the floor space before substituting.

This configuration is a strong fit for enterprise edge rooms and colocation deployments running 4–8 mid-density servers per cabinet, where power redundancy is contractually required but the additional mechanical complexity of dual cooling units is not justified by the thermal load profile.