The European Commission proposed today a common rating scheme for data centres. It will cover three dimensions of sustainability – power use efficiency, water use efficiency, use of low-emission sources.
Building on the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen announced the Data Centre Energy Efficiency Package as part of the 10-point action plan to accelerate energy efficiency in Europe.
The common rating scheme for data centres is aimed at increasing transparency on their energy use and supporting their sustainable integration into Europe’s energy system, according to the European Commission.
It is essential that data centres are highly energy- and water-efficient
The EU wants to triple its data centre capacity over the next five to seven years. This growth brings challenges, including an increase of energy consumption, pressure on electricity grids, the use of natural resources, such as water.
To limit these impacts, it is essential that data centres are highly energy- and water-efficient and sustainably integrated in the energy system, the commission explained.
The package consists of three parts
The package consists of three parts. The first part is a report to the European Parliament and Council assessing the data reported by the sector and identifying the next steps that could be taken to develop a more sustainable sector.
The second part is the rating scheme. The third part is the launch of an open public consultation on minimum performance standards for data centres, regarding (indicatively) their energy efficiency, water use, waste heat reuse, services to the grid and other selected sustainability criteria.
The rating scheme will cover three dimensions of sustainability
The rating scheme will cover three dimensions of sustainability (power use efficiency, water use efficiency, use of low-emission sources) and other indicators (grid functions, waste heat reuse readiness).
It will also display if a data centre contributes to the creation of new, additional clean energy generation, for example through contracting power purchase agreements with renewable or nuclear power plants, which are not older than ten years or which have been substantially refurbished over the last ten years, the commission said.
The rating scheme will cover individual data centres with a capacity above 500 kW.
Ribera: Data centres can become an asset for the EU’s energy transition
According to Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, tripling the EU’s data centre capacity cannot mean tripling the pressure on grids, water and energy bills.
“Efficient, flexible, powered by additional clean energy and reusing waste heat, this is how data centres become an asset for the EU’s energy transition,” she added.
Jørgensen: Data centers must be integrated sustainably into the energy system
Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, stressed that understanding data centers’ energy and resource consumption is the essential first step towards integrating them sustainably into the energy system.
Digital sovereignty must go hand in hand with energy responsibility, he underscored.
