The Energy Efficiency Act, which was passed by the German government and comes into legal force on November 18, 2023, contains new specifications and requirements for the planning, development and, in particular, the operation of data centers.
The German information and telecommunications industry association bitkom, of which the Data Center Group is also a member, has now produced a guide to help data center operators successfully comply with the requirements.
One of the authors who played a key role in drafting the guide is an expert from our own ranks: Fabian Buda, Consultant at Data Center Group and member of the Data Center Working Group Board.
The guide is divided into 5 chapters:
- Definitions: This section explains important terms from the law. This serves as a basis for describing and explaining the provisions of the Act more precisely.
- Data centers commissioned before July 2026: New and existing data centers with a "connected load" of 300 kW or more that commence or have commenced operations before July 2026 must, among other things, achieve a PUE of 1.5 or less from 1 July 2027 and 1.3 or less from 1 July 2030. This section explains the sections of the law in more detail and provides recommendations and solutions for implementation.
- Data centers, commissioning after July 2026: Data centers with commissioning after July 1, 2026 must achieve even stricter specifications, such as a PUE value of 1.2 or less and specifications for waste heat recovery. These are explained and design suggestions are given.
- Environmental or energy management systems: Energy consumption determines whether systems need to be implemented, monitored or certified. In this section, readers will learn about the relevant requirements and deadlines.
- Reporting obligations: The law also includes the obligation to report to a new energy efficiency register for data centers. All the requirements for this are summarized here.
You can download the guide for free here. (German only)
Would you also like to find out whether or to what extent your data center is affected by the measures? Use our configurator and request your personal, free initial consultation.
Would you like to find out at a glance when which law applies to whom? Download our free cheat sheet and bring some clarity.
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