EU plans introduction of rating system

The European Commission and its consultants have presented a second draft of data center labeling and rating scheme (see Figure 1), as required under the delegated regulation authorization in the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). However, the proposed label strays from the central objectives of the EED — namely, to report data center information and key performance indicators (KPIs), improve data center infrastructure energy efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with energy use.

Instead, the label presents a laundry list of sustainability metrics. These include energy consumption; combined Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions; the renewable energy factor (REF) value; PUE and water usage effectiveness (WUE) values; three IT efficiency indicators; heat reuse capability; the energy reuse factor (ERF) value; presence of an end-of-life equipment program; refrigerant type; and the provision of grid flexibility services.