September 21, 2026
EU data centers will get an efficiency label like refrigerators: an A–G scale from 15.08.2027
The European Commission approved a single label for EU data centers on 21.09.2026: an A–G class for energy and water, with the first labels issued on 15.08.2027.
Class A goes to a data center that uses no more than 15% above the servers themselves for cooling and power. For Class G, the overhead reaches 90%.
The European Commission published its delegated regulation on the single rating scheme on 21.09.2026. The scale uses two metrics: PUE for energy and WUE for water.
Who it applies to. Disclosure is mandatory for facilities with at least 500 kW of installed IT capacity. Facilities below 500 kW and new builds report voluntarily, while defense and civil-protection sites are exempt.
Each year by 15 May, the operator uploads around two dozen metrics for the previous year to the European Database of Data Centres, created by Regulation 2024/1364. The label is generated automatically, includes a QR code, and can be opened by anyone.
For water, Class A starts at 0.10 liters per kilowatt-hour, while Class G exceeds one liter. The 2026 version counts freshwater, not only potable water.
The methodology was rebuilt. Heat reuse no longer worsens PUE. IT energy is measured at rack level; previously, measurement was taken at the UPS and PDU. After objections from Members of the European Parliament, the low-carbon factor now includes nuclear power and legacy hydropower.
EU data centers consumed 68 TWh in 2024, with a forecast of 114 TWh by 2030. That is more than 3% of the bloc's total electricity consumption, while EU data-center capacity is expected to triple in seven years.
The scheme sets no caps. It imposes no limits on energy or water, does not require disclosure of total electricity consumption: the label measures efficiency, the link between water withdrawal and regional water stress, and readiness to provide waste heat.
If the Council of the EU and the European Parliament raise no objections within two months, the regulation will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal.
