The energy transition and digital sustainability are pillars of the European strategy towards climate neutrality. In this context, the new Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) introduces specific requirements for energy-intensive data centers (≥1MW), requiring these facilities to adopt a series of concrete measures to measure, monitor, and report their energy efficiency.
What is the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED)?
The EED, part of the European Union's "Fit for 55" legislative package, aims to reduce primary and final energy consumption across the EU. Its latest update includes specific obligations for high-power data centers, recognizing their growing impact on European energy demand.
Objectives and mandatory measures for data centers ≥1MW
From 2024, data centers with a total power exceeding 1 MW will be required to:
• Measure and report energy indicators, such as PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness).
• Implement accurate electrical metering systems to monitor energy performance at different levels of the infrastructure.
• Report annually on their efficiency, energy consumption, heat reuse, and use of renewable energy through a centralized European platform.
• Adopt continuous improvements based on the data obtained to reduce energy consumption.
Keys to its technical compliance
The EN 50600-4-2 standard defines three resolution categories for PUE indicators, which implies different levels of requirement in the accuracy and granularity of the measurement data:
Category 1 (PUE 1)
• Requires basic data resolution.
• Network analyzers such as the DIRIS Q-800 are recommended.
Category 2 (PUE 2)
• Requires intermediate resolution and greater measurement detail.
• Suggested solution: DIRIS A-200, for centralized metering and load control.
Category 3 (PUE 3)
• Highest level of detail: includes load balancing and efficiency at the rack or PDU level.
• Solutions: Distributed systems such as DIRIS Digiware S/BCM, ideal for environments with multiple computing loads.
Data Integration and Export:
EED compliance involves not only the installation of equipment but also its integration with energy analysis platforms. Solutions must be capable of exporting data to Edge or Cloud environments, facilitating its submission to official EU reporting platforms and improving the overall energy management of the facility.
