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Data Centre Minimum Performance Standards – EU
Technical support for the development of an EU regulation on mandatory minimum performance standards (MPS) for energy efficiency and sustainability in data centers
On behalf of the European Commission Directorate-General Energy, the Borderstep Institute, together with Viegand Maagøe, VM Europe and VHK , is supporting the development of an EU regulation to introduce mandatory minimum performance standards (MPS) for data centers.
The aim is to develop scientifically sound, regulatory coherent, and practicable minimum performance standards (MPS) that take equal account of climate protection, security of supply, and competitiveness.
Challenges in the data center sector: growth and energy efficiency
The background to this is the strong growth of the data center sector—particularly due to cloud computing and AI applications—coupled with increasing demands for energy efficiency, integration of renewable energies, and waste heat utilization. To date, there are reporting and transparency requirements at the EU level, but no binding minimum requirements for energy performance.
Analytical basis for minimum performance standards
The project is developing a robust analytical basis for the design of the MPS. To this end, we will take the following aspects into account:
Differentiated analysis of market segments, such as:
- Hyperscale data centers
- Colocation data centers
- Edge data centers
- Enterprise data centers
Assessment of technological trends, e.g.:
- Liquid cooling
- AI workloads
- Load shifting
Review of existing indicators (such as PUE, WUE, ERF, and REF) with regard to:
- Effectiveness
- Interdependencies
- Regulatory suitability
Based on a specially developed model, various MPS scenarios are quantified and their environmental, economic, and social impacts are assessed. Particular emphasis is placed on regulatory consistency with existing instruments such as the Energy Efficiency Directive, Ecodesign regulations, and the future Data Center Energy Efficiency Performance (DCEEP) framework.
The result is a scientifically sound basis for decision-making on the introduction of harmonized minimum standards that strike a balance between technical feasibility, market realities, and EU climate targets.
You can read more about the EU study Minimum performance standards for EU data centres here.
If you would like to participate in the workshops and surveys as a stakeholder, we look forward to receiving your registration.
Green Economy