As Data Centres of every shape and size continue to play a pivotal role in our digital landscape, the EU is legislating to enhance the efficiency of these hard-working facilities with revised directives to help drive Europe’s wider energy transition.
With an unabated upward trend in the number of Data Centres being developed, it’s important to consider the broader implications of overall power capacity being scaled-up – not only in terms of the bricks and mortar of Data Centres themselves, but also the AI infrastructure that’s driving significant demand for newly designed facilities, as well as the complexity and nature of the compute-intensive tasks that are becoming so prevalent.
The International Energy Agency forecasts that Data Centre electricity consumption could exceed 1,000 TWh by 2026 – representing more than 30% of total Data Centre power consumption and further underlining the need for change. As such, new challenges are emerging to determine the most efficient use of electricity and optimum power supply for Data Centre loads – perennial issues for every Facilities Manager, but with fresh relevance in this rapidly evolving operating environment.
With manufacturers, policy makers and end users continually introducing new ways of reducing carbon, the EU Energy Efficiency rules were first adopted in 2012 for buildings with a surface area of >1000m2, was updated in 2018 and updated again as an European Union Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) with a focus on Data Centres in 2023.
To date, the EU energy directive has contributed to energy savings of almost one third compared to the 2007 consumption projections for 2030. In the light of its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by at least 55%, the revised 2023 legislation will make it compulsory for the EU as a whole to reduce final energy consumption – the amount of energy consumed by end users – by 11.7% in 2030, compared with energy consumption forecasts for 2030 that were made in 2020 (source: European Union 2023).
How can data centres stay compliant?
The requirements for all Data Centres over 500kW (article 12) impact both metering and monitoring, whilst recommendations for Data Centres >1MW impact metering and monitoring as well as UPS equipment. In particular, Annex VII states the minimum requirements for monitoring including energy consumption, power utilisation, temperature set points, waste heat utilisation, water usage and the use of renewable energy.
Since 15th May 2024*, and every year thereafter, Member States require Data Centre owners and operators in their respective territories with a power demand of the installed IT of at least 500kW to make the information set out in Annex VII publicly available, except for information subject to Union and national law protecting trade and business secrets and confidentiality, according to the EU Commission delegated regulation EU 14.3.2004.
" The penalties for non-compliance shall be “effective, proportionate and dissuasive”
" Operators will need to move swiftly to understand the implications of these new rules - and to ensure compliance. Interpreting the revisions to EED targets and their impact on Data Centres requires a degree of analysis in order to make sure that facilities are not only optimising efficiencies for sustainability, cost-effectiveness and environmental stewardship, but that they’re fully aligned with the new legislation. ”
PUE & Power Metering.
The PUE is defined in EN 50600-4-2: data processing centre facilities and infrastructure, part 4-2: Power Usage Effectiveness. The PUE represents the ratio between the total energy consumed by the Data Centre (DTC) and the energy needed for IT equipment.
In 2020, the average PUE for most data centres was in the region of 1.6. The design of the latest generation of data centres target a PUE of < 1.2 that implies a category 3 level of granularity with current sensors installed just before the IT equipment (server racks). For colocation we now see data centre owners take this requirement a step further by implementing MID metering that provides an advanced level of resolution, high precision and fair billing for colocation tenants.
To accurately assess the actual performance of a DTC, the consumption monitoring device for the IT servers must be positioned as close as possible to the installed equipment. The PUE identifies areas for improvement specific to processes, design, and operational efficiency. A target value will be set for the design of new DTC and used as a target for energy management.
“For many years, PUE has been seen as one of the most important measures to understand how efficient a DTC really is. A basic summary of what PUE boils down to is quite straightforward - you take the total energy used by the facility – everything from lighting to heating and cooling – and divide it by the total energy used by the actual IT systems.” The ability to measure electrical consumption accurately (class 0.5) at every level within the installation is key when working to reduce energy consumption, taking the entire measurement chain into account.
“To achieve compliance with the EED revisions – quickly – it is vital to introduce metering to an installation. It’s simpler than ever to add power metering to any part of your current architecture – loading new metering points into an existing DTC installation is no longer complicated and this even includes critical installations where it’s not possible to disconnect the supply. For instance, our multi circuit Diris Digiware power monitoring system with solid, flexible or split core current sensors ideal for retrofit applications, have been proven extensively in data center applications and integrate seamlessly throughout an entire AC and DC power distribution – from power quality metering at the incoming level to low voltage switchboards to PDUs, RPPs and even busway tap-off units. Check out the Digiware video just to see how easy it really is!”
Boosting performance for larger facilities
Beyond metering and monitoring for data centres > 500 kW, facilities > 1MW are encouraged to adopt 2023 best practice guidelines of the EU code of conduct , with special reference to the selection and deployment of new power equipment (UPS - section 6) to provide a better overall impact on efficiency, and section 9 including monitoring guidelines that cover the granularity of metering, the measurement of PUE and data publication – but how does this impact the running of a facility in real terms?
Modular and scalable – with elite efficiency
Ian Tanti explains; “If we consider section 6 of the EU code of conduct – 2024 best practice guidelines, we see the call for modular and scalable UPS systems, smart conversion operating modes and efficient part load operation – Energy Saver. What this means is that you grow the facility as you go along, as things change. By rightsizing correctly, you limit your CapEx and optimise energy efficiency – and you also minimise energy losses. With the latest modular solutions it’s really straightforward to add capacity when and where you need it most, so you can then upscale with additional plug and play power modules.”
The EED also calls for “elite” efficiency UPS systems in compliance with a commitment to reducing energy losses and gas emissions caused by equipment, thereby maximising UPS efficiency - greater than 93.5% in VFI mode, greater than 98% in VFD mode and Class 1 according to the IEC 60240-3 standard.
Socomec’s Modulys and Delphys range of UPS represent the latest generation of modular solutions and these smart, secure and sustainable systems are compliant with the EU Code of Conduct for elite level UPS efficiency that’s fit for the future. The Modulys XM has been engineered to outlive the applications it powers, reducing or eliminating the need for costly UPS replacements.
Ian comments; “Rightsizing through modularity in design enables power protection capacity to be added - when it’s needed - to meet actual or existing demand, instead of total upfront deployment. This considered approach means that wasted capacity is minimised in terms of variance between projected future loads and actual future loads. Furthermore, although redundancy provides an attractive MTBF, the rapid repair times associated with the very latest modular configurations can reduce MTTR significantly.”
Granular metering & monitoring for full compliance
Section 9 of the code sets out best practice monitoring guidelines including granularity for metering. Minimum reporting includes periodic written submissions on energy consumption and PUE calculations should be completed according to the EN 50600-4-2 guidelines, to include the different categories of PUE ranging from 0 to 3, representing increasing levels of reporting granularity.
With this in mind, how can you ensure compliance with the EED for monitoring in DTC – and declare the PUE in compliance with EN 50600-2-2 / 4-2?
Ian Tanti comments; “The foundations of compliance are built on the deployment of permanent measuring and monitoring solutions – not relying on temporary measurement campaigns that use portable equipment. Granularity is key, being vital to measure as close to the terminal loads and servers as possible.
“Also, remember that the measurement system should evolve at the same pace as the DTC’s electrical distribution, so it should be scalable. Today’s solutions make it simple to scale up - or down – without disruption.
“Versatility is so important. You must allow for rich measurements at any point – incoming, individual outgoing, AC and DC circuits. Above all, the measurements must be accurate – what that means is that they must be reliable and repeatable – even under really low load levels.”
Unlock efficiencies in time for the deadline
The new EU Energy Efficiency Directive challenges DTCs to improve energy performance while transitioning to a more sustainable operating model, increasing transparency and promoting new designs and developments.
“We have invested heavily to develop solutions that will support this transition and ensure compliance, enabling facilities to meet the revised energy performance targets. These latest solutions are truly scalable and deliver elite-level efficiency – supporting rightsizing through genuine modularity and providing tangible benefits from smart conversion. What’s more, we know how essential continuity is to critical applications, so these systems enable facilities to upgrade without disruption to service. By embracing these new technologies, optimising infrastructure and aligning with decarbonisation initiatives, Data Centres can not only ensure compliance but can also lead the pack in terms of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.”
If you wish to discuss how to stay compliant with the new EU Directive please contact us.
* The commission delegates regulation (EU) 14.3.2024 rescheduled the 1st publication to 15 September 2024, then by 15 May 2025, and every year thereafter.