A proposed energy standard from ASHRAE known as the Energy Standard for Data Centers and Telecommunications Buildings, is open for its first public review until March 30, 2015.

Expected to work in tandem with Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, Standard 90.4P is meant to focus on the special nature of larger data centres and offer more flexibility regarding innovative change.

The standard would create minimum energy efficiency requirements for design and construction and for framing a operation and maintenance plan.

David Quirk, chair of ASHRAE’s Technical Committee 9.9, Mission Critical Facilities, Technology Spaces and Electronic Equipment, said data center applications include significantly higher plug loads and employ rapidly changing technology for IT equipment and associated power/cooling approaches.

Quick noted that data centres and their commercial counterparts differ in the approach to regulating minimum efficiency requirements for the electrical and mechanical systems that support the plug loads.

“By using an approach that requires compliance to a ‘system’ level of performance,” he said, “designers and end-users can utilize various trade-offs in their optimization strategizes depending on their company specific business models.”