Building type
Data centre: what the SRI measures
What the Smart Readiness Indicator measures in a data centre, which domains weigh heavily and where the first points are.
In short
- 1The Smart Readiness Indicator measures how intelligently a building manages energy, and for data centres this centres mainly on cooling and electricity.
- 2Heating and hot water do not count towards the score, as they play almost no role in a data centre.
- 3Domains such as cooling, electricity and monitoring and control carry heavy weight, because they account for the largest share of energy consumption.
Which domains weigh heavily
- Coolingheavy
- Electricityheavy
- Monitoring and controlheavy
- Ventilationmedium
- Lightinglight
14 services in the calculator.
Characteristics of this building type
- Cooling is almost the entire energy use
- Monitoring is already at a high level
- Supplying waste heat to the surroundings
- Batteries and backup power as a flexibility source
Why is the SRI different for a data centre?
A data centre uses energy in a completely different way than an office or residential building. Almost all consumption sits in cooling and electricity, not in heating or hot water.
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) methodology accounts for this through weighting factors per domain. For a data centre, the domains heating and hot water receive a weighting factor of zero. Cooling, electricity and monitoring and control receive the highest weighting instead.
This means that a data centre's SRI score is determined almost entirely by how intelligently the building manages its cooling systems, power supply and their control.
Which domains count most heavily?
Cooling, electricity and monitoring and control each have the highest weighting factor. Ventilation also counts, but with lower weighting.
Lighting plays a minor role. Domains such as dynamic building envelope and electric vehicle charging count for very little in practice, as they are not relevant for this building type.
Monitoring is already set up at high functionality level in many data centres, because continuous system oversight is operationally necessary there. This can positively influence the score.
What is specific about flexibility and waste heat?
Data centres often already have batteries and backup power systems. These systems can also serve as a flexibility source within the electricity domain of the SRI.
Some data centres supply waste heat to their surroundings, for example to a district heating network. This type of functionality does not automatically fall under the standard domains, but can be relevant in a broader assessment of the building's smart-ready services.
When does the SRI become relevant for data centres?
The SRI is a voluntary instrument. Building owners can apply it now, without obligation.
Data centres often have an installed capacity above 290 kW for cooling and climate control (HVAC). The European Commission must adopt a delegated act by 30 June 2027 that is expected to make the SRI mandatory for non-residential buildings above this threshold. Many data centres fall within the target group of that future obligation.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Have the SRI applied based on cooling, electricity and monitoring, because these domains determine the score and provide the most insight into savings potential. This gives you visibility of your own position before an obligation through a delegated act potentially becomes law.
- Tenant
- As a user of data centre space, you notice mainly intelligent cooling and stable power supply, not heating or hot water. A higher SRI class can indicate lower energy costs and less risk of cooling failures.
- Advisor
- Pay attention to the weighting factors in your assessment: cooling, electricity and monitoring and control carry the most weight, while heating and hot water do not count. Also focus on flexibility through batteries and backup power, and on any waste heat supply, because this is not always built into the standard methodology.
Next step
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