ENERGY STAR Certified

Data centers must establish accounts in EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and continuously track energy consumption using 12 consecutive months of actual utility billing data, normalized for weather variations and operational metrics specific to data center operations (compute density, cooling modes, IT load fluctuations).

The facility must achieve a score of 75 or higher on the EPA 1-100 scale, which scientifically positions the data center within the top 25% of national energy performers for its peer group.

This normalization accounts for geographic climate differences, cooling architecture (air-cooled vs.

liquid-cooled), workload characterization, and facility age, ensuring cross-regional comparisons remain valid.

Before EPA certification is awarded, a licensed professional engineer, Certified Energy Manager (CEM), or qualified auditor must independently verify all data submitted to Portfolio Manager, including utility records, operating parameters, and facility specifications.

This verification process requires on-site assessment of the data center's energy systems, HVAC configurations, power distribution equipment, and IT infrastructure to confirm that reported metrics accurately reflect actual operational conditions and that no material discrepancies exist between claimed and measured performance.

Data centers must maintain auditable records of all utility bills, sub-metered consumption data, and energy monitoring outputs for a minimum of 12 months, with systems in place to detect and correct billing anomalies or measurement errors.

Energy Star certification requires that facilities accurately categorize and report consumption across distinct operational categories—IT equipment, cooling systems, power conversion losses, and non-essential loads—to ensure the benchmarking algorithm correctly contextualizes performance against national standards.

ENERGY STAR certification is not a one-time achievement but requires annual renewal by updating Portfolio Manager with the most recent 12-month consumption data and re-engaging a licensed professional to verify continued compliance with the 75th percentile threshold.

Data centers experiencing significant operational changes—such as infrastructure upgrades, workload migrations, or facility expansions—must reassess their performance trajectory to ensure they maintain qualification and adjust strategies proactively if trending below the required threshold.

The EPA Portfolio Manager algorithm automatically normalizes energy consumption for external variables including heating/cooling degree days, facility occupancy rates, plug load variations, and hours of operation, which is particularly critical for data centers where cooling energy constitutes 30-50% of total consumption and varies significantly with ambient temperature and humidity.

Facilities must provide accurate baseline operational data so normalization adjustments reflect true efficiency differences rather than external environmental factors, ensuring the 75th percentile score represents genuine operational excellence.

Certified facilities must consent to EPA's publication of their certification status and energy performance metrics (anonymously or with facility identification, depending on tier), supporting EPA's transparency initiatives and contributing to national benchmarking databases.

This public disclosure allows facility managers to benchmark against industry peers and creates market-driven accountability for continuous efficiency improvements beyond initial certification.

While not explicitly mandated, ENERGY STAR certification pathways increasingly encourage or require facilities to demonstrate a commitment to identifying and implementing cost-effective energy conservation measures identified through engineering audits or data analytics, with documented progress toward efficiency targets.

Leading data center operators integrate ENERGY STAR performance targets into facility management plans, operational KPIs, and capital budgeting cycles to systematically reduce energy intensity (typically expressed as Power Usage Effectiveness or PUE) and maintain competitive advantage.

Facilities must provide complete technical documentation of all major energy-consuming systems—including CRAC/CRAH specifications, hot/cold aisle configurations, power distribution topology (PDU ratings, UPS capacity), IT equipment inventory and power densities, and control systems—to enable the licensed professional to verify that Portfolio Manager inputs accurately represent installed infrastructure and operational parameters that influence energy consumption patterns.