Energy efficiency refers to the responsible and efficient use of energy sources. The term describes the ratio between the output achieved and the energy input consumed. Simply put, it’s about achieving higher performance with lower energy consumption. This includes not only reducing energy consumption but also preventing energy losses through improved technologies and optimized processes.
Energy efficiency has far-reaching effects on two central areas of our society: the environment and the economy. In the environmental context, higher energy efficiency significantly contributes to reducing CO2 emissions. Reduced energy consumption lowers the demand for fossil fuels, thereby minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
From an economic perspective, energy efficiency also plays a crucial role, as it helps companies reduce energy costs and increase their competitiveness. More efficient operational processes also enable innovations and open up new markets, especially for sustainable products and services.
Furthermore, energy efficiency offers societal benefits by contributing to reducing dependence on energy imports, thus improving energy supply security. A more stable energy policy protects national economies from price fluctuations in international energy markets.
Energy efficiency is also an essential factor for achieving climate protection goals.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are gaining increasing importance in the data center industry. Evidence of this is the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, which aims to operate data centers climate-neutral by 2030 at the latest.
At the EU level, there are comprehensive initiatives from two ministries (DG ENER & DG CONNECT) that address data centers as “energy-intensive objects.” These measures are intended to contribute to the implementation of the EU Commission’s Green Deal.
On November 17, 2023, the Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG) was passed and published. It obliges authorities, energy-intensive companies, and data centers to further reduce their energy consumption. It also defines far-reaching requirements for energy-efficient operation of data centers.
All companies that consume more than 7.5 gigawatt-hours of energy annually must implement an energy or environmental management system. Companies with an annual energy consumption of more than 2.5 gigawatt-hours are obliged to plan economic energy efficiency measures and make them publicly accessible. In addition, companies should avoid generating waste heat during production. If this is not possible, the generated waste heat must be used efficiently.
For the first time, energy efficiency standards have been set for new data centers. In addition, data centers must be cooled in a particularly energy-efficient manner. Efficiency requirements also come into force for existing data centers.
Operators are encouraged to make sensible use of waste heat to achieve energy savings. Furthermore, large data centers should increasingly rely on electricity from renewable sources. Operators must register their energy consumption in a public register and inform their customers about their individual energy consumption.
