Data centre · Electricity
Electricity in data centre: what the SRI measures
This domain covers the building's electricity management: batteries, solar panels, shifting consumption to cheap hours, reporting to users and responding to grid signals. It is the core of energy flexibility.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses the Electricity domain for data centres.
- 2For this building type, electricity carries full weighting because cooling and power consumption determine nearly all energy use.
- 3The services cover storage, generation, consumption and the ability to respond to electricity grid signals.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting information regarding local electricity generation E-2 · A · 5 levels | None | Performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | highest level |
| Storage of (locally generated) electricity E-3 · A · 5 levels | None | On site storage of energy (e.g. electric battery or thermal storage) with controller optimising the use of locally generated electricity and possibility to feed back into the grid | highest level |
| Optimizing self-consumption of locally generated electricity E-4 · 4 levels | None | Automated management of local electricity consumption based on current and predicted energy needs and renewable energy availability | – |
| Control of combined heat and power plant (CHP) E-5 · 3 levels | CHP control based on scheduled runtime management and/or current heat energy demand | CHP runtime control influenced by the fluctuating availability of RES and grid signals; dynamic charging and runtime control to optimise self-consumption of renewables | – |
| Support of (micro)grid operation modes E-8 · 4 levels | None | Automated management of (building-level) electricity consumption and supply, with potential to continue limited off-grid operation (island mode) | – |
| Reporting information regarding energy storage E-11 · A · 5 levels | None | Performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | highest level |
| Reporting information regarding electricity consumption E-12 · A · 5 levels | None | Real-time feedback or benchmarking on appliance level with automated personalized recommendations | highest level |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 7 percentage points (from 31 to 38 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does electricity carry such heavy weighting for data centres?
A data centre consumes almost exclusively electricity, mainly for cooling and equipment itself. Heating, hot water and building envelope play hardly any role in the energy profile.
Therefore the Electricity domain (E) carries full weighting for this building type: 3 out of 3. This domain covers batteries, solar panels, shifting consumption to low-cost hours, user reporting and responding to grid signals.
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) measures seven smart-ready services in this domain. Each service receives a functionality level from 0 to 4, where a higher level means more automation and flexibility.
Which smart-ready services are assessed?
Service E-2 examines reporting on local electricity generation, for example from solar panels. Service E-3 assesses electricity storage, such as batteries, and whether that storage responds to grid signals or local generation.
E-4 covers optimisation of own consumption: from time-based scheduling to automated management based on available renewable energy. E-5 concerns regulation of a combined heat and power installation, if present.
E-8 assesses whether a building can operate as a microgrid or even off-grid during a disruption. E-11 and E-12 cover reporting of energy storage and electricity consumption, down to device level.
What does this mean for a data centre in practice?
Many data centres already have backup power systems and batteries. These systems were originally designed for continuity, not for energy flexibility.
For a high score on service E-3 and E-8, that battery capacity must also be able to respond to grid signals or optimise local consumption. Supplying backup power alone is not enough for higher functionality levels.
Waste heat from cooling can also be supplied to the surrounding area, for example to a district heating network. This does not directly affect the Electricity domain, but does strengthen the overall picture of a flexible and connected building.
Above which threshold do obligations apply?
Data centres often have installation capacity above 290 kW for cooling and electricity. Above this threshold, building automation requirements have applied since end of 2024 under Article 13 of the EPBD.
The SRI itself remains voluntary. The European Commission must adopt a delegated act by 30 June 2027 that is expected to make the SRI mandatory for utility buildings above 290 kW.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As owner of a data centre, it is worthwhile to check whether existing batteries and backup power systems can also respond to grid signals, as this largely determines the score on the Electricity domain. A higher score in this domain demonstrates that the building is ready for future obligations around building automation above 290 kW.
- Tenant
- As a tenant or user of a data centre, you will notice these services mainly indirectly, for example through more stable power supply and possibly lower energy costs with flexible consumption. Reporting on electricity consumption at device level can also provide insight into your own energy use within the building.
- Advisor
- When assessing this domain, pay specific attention to whether battery systems serve only as backup power or also actively contribute to optimisation of own consumption or grid stability, as this distinction determines the functionality level. Also check whether reporting systems for consumption and storage already work at device level, as this often makes the difference between middle and highest classes.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?