Energy-Efficient Data Centres Can Seek Energy Star Label

Data centre operators in the US can now seek the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star label for energy efficiency if they can show they rank in the top 25 per cent of their peers in performance.

The EPA will base its labeling decision on a data centre’s Power Usage Effectiveness metric, and data centre performance must be independently verified by a licensed professional before the agency awards its stamp of approval.

Data centres account for about 1.5 per cent of the US’s total electricity consumption, and spend some $4.5 billion a year on energy. Furthermore, the industry’s energy consumption levels are expected to almost double over the next five years.

The EPA estimates that improving the energy efficiency of US data centres by just 10 per cent would save more than 6 billion kilowatt-hours — enough to power more than 350,000 homes — and save more than $450 million annually.