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Les énergies renouvelables représentent 87% de l’énergie consommée par les centres de données de l’Union européenne

La Commission européenne a examiné un tiers des centres de données de l’UE dans le cadre de la rédaction d’un rapport technique. Les résultats témoignent d’un fort engagement en faveur de l’utilisation des énergies renouvelables, tout en soulignant que des efforts supplémentaires en matière d’optimisation et d’investissements restent nécessaires pour réaliser les objectifs d’efficacité énergétique.

In June 2025, the European Commission released a technical report assessing data centre energy efficiency and sustainability, in support of implementing Article 12(5) of Directive 2023/1791.

 

Around 770 facilities participated in the reporting scheme, representing approximately 36% of eligible EU data centres which were estimated to be over 2,000. Energy efficiency and sustainability were assessed using four key metrics, namely Power Usage Efficiency (PUE), Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), Energy Reuse Factor (ERF) and Renewable Energy Factor (REF).

 

Findings from the survey indicate that many data centres still operate above the widely accepted PUE benchmark of 1.3-1.4, indicating that further efforts are needed to improve the energy efficiency, for instance by reducing the energy used for cooling IT equipment. According to the report, factors such as facility age, design and climate influence energy efficiency. Older buildings and poor insulation or roof albedo raise cooling loads, while cooler regions exploit free cooling and warmer ones depend on energy-hungry chillers, creating seasonal PUE variations.

 

Regarding water usage, WUE results vary significantly across data centres around the industry threshold of 0.4 L/KWh. According to the authors, PUE and WUE results highlight that further optimisation and investment will be critical to meet efficiency targets.

 

Figure 1. Distribution of PUE of data centres from the reporting scheme

 

Meanwhile, high REF values were recorded across the EU, indicating a commendable commitment to renewable energy sourcing.

 

Renewable Energy Factor (REF) represent the ratio of total renewable energy consumption to total energy consumption, where a REF of 1.0 would indicate that all energy consumption comes from renewable sources. According to this report by the European Commission, high REF values were recorded across the EU, with an EU-wide weighted average of 0.87 (see figure 2).

 

Figure 2. Average REF of data centres from the reporting scheme by Member State

 

 

For more information, the complete report is available on the Publications Office of the European Union website.

 

 

Source

European Commission: Directorate-General for Energy, AIT, Borderstep and EY, Assessment of the energy performance and sustainability of data centres in EU – First technical report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2833/3168794.