New Development Strategy & Design

This indicator provides the entity with the opportunity to disclose additional context to support the interpretation of its responses to the New Development Strategy & Design indicators, helping stakeholders better understand the entity’s approach and circumstances.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If ‘Yes’, provide context to support the interpretation of the entity’s responses to this aspect’s indicators.

Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Insights and Benchmark Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

Lifecycle

Refers to the stage of development of the sites included in the reporting entity and is used to distinguish between sites that are under development and those that are operational.

• New Development: represents MW capacity associated with sites that were actively under design, permitting, construction, commissioning, expansion, and/or major renovation during the reporting year. This excludes land holdings that are not actively under development.

• Operational:  represents MW capacity associated with sites that were operational and delivering data center services during the reporting year.

Exclusions: Sites that are not energized – e.g., connected to electric power sufficient for operations – should be excluded. Facilities not functionally-related to data center development and operations are excluded from the scope of the data center assessment, e.g., offices, storage, logistics, maintenance, etc.

Sustainable Design Requirements

Sustainability-specific requirements, priorities, or performance expectations incorporated into design and development documents, such as RFPs, contracts, owner’s project requirements, basis of design documents, design briefs, or equivalent project specifications.

No evidence required.

This indicator assesses whether the entity has set new development projects strategy and/or direction of travel, including whether it is reflected through short- and medium- to long-term targets and/or objectives. A clear strategic direction supports consistent decision-making and helps manage sustainability risks and opportunities associated with planning, design, and construction activities.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

• If applicable, select the framework with which the strategy is aligned.

  • Green building or other building-related frameworks should be reported under “industry-agnostic framework(s).”

  • Government frameworks reported should only include non-binding frameworks established by government bodies. Legislative frameworks fall outside the scope of this category.

  • Other: State the other framework with which the strategy is aligned. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above.

Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Insights and Benchmark Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

Direction of Travel

The overall trajectory of an entity's approach over time, which outlines its strategic priorities and the milestones it expects to achieve.

Industry-Agnostic Frameworks(s)

Frameworks that are intended to be applied across multiple sectors and are not specific to one industry.

Industry Specific Framework(s)

Frameworks tailored to a the data center sector, addressing industry-specific greenhouse gas emissions sources and reduction approaches.

Sustainability Objectives

Strategic priorities and key topics for the management and/or improvement of sustainability, resilience, and efficiency issues.

Sustainability Strategy

Strategy which (1) sets out the participant’s procedures and (2) sets the direction and guidance for the entity’s implementation of sustainability measures.

No evidence required.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the sum of the fractions assigned to the selected options and respective sub-options, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

This indicator examines whether the entity incorporates sustainability-related criteria into site selection for new construction. Embedding preservation or conservation considerations at this stage, through structured site assessment, can help limit negative impacts, identify risks early, and capitalize on opportunities that improve long-term resilience and performance outcomes.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

Other: State the other topics included in the site selection strategy. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of the selected option above. This only includes elements already present on the site that the entity intends to preserve, restore, or improve following the completion of construction.

Open text box: The content of this open text box is not used for scoring, but will be included in the Insights and Benchmark Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

Endangered species

Animal and plant species that are either on the IUCN Red list, or have been designated as threatened, endangered, or protected, by local or national governments.

Habitats for Threatened and Endangered Species

Areas that contain habitat for plant and animal species identified as threatened or endangered by a national or intergovernmental authority (e.g., US Fish and Wildlife Service, Australian Department of Environment, EU Habitats Directive, European Red List of Threatened Species, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

Historical and Heritage Sites

Locations with cultural, archaeological, or historical significance that must be identified and considered during the planning and development process to avoid damage or destruction of irreplaceable cultural resources and to maintain positive relationships with local communties.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Responsible Siting

A structured site selection approach that incorporates preservation, conservation, and protection strategies to minimize negative impacts on existing land and its surroundings. It encourages the use of previously occupied or contaminated land where appropriate, limits development on inappropriate sites, and seeks to protect wildlife, ecological features, and the surrounding environment during site preparation and construction.

Watershed Protection and Water Management

The consideration of measures in site selection and development planning to protect watershed functions and manage water-related impacts, including drainage, runoff, and water resource use.

Other Answer

The other answer(s) provided will be subject to manual validation.

State the other topic included in the entity’s site selection strategy and ensure that the topic applies to the evaluation of prospective development sites rather than site management activities after development has commenced.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option, multiplied by the total score of the indicator. It is not necessary to select all options to achieve the maximum score.

Other: The 'Other' answer is validated and assigned a score which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:

Scoring Basics

This indicator examines whether the entity incorporates sustainability standards for new development projects, including both horizontal and vertical design. Embedding sustainability considerations at this stage helps reduce environmental impacts, improve resource efficiency, and support long-term performance outcomes.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

Other: State the other sustainability requirements included in horizontal and/or vertical design standards, if applicable. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of the selected option above.

Terminology

Sustainable Design Requirements

Sustainability-specific requirements, priorities, or performance expectations incorporated into design and development documents, such as RFPs, contracts, owner’s project requirements, basis of design documents, design briefs, or equivalent project specifications.

Carbon Intensity Threshold

Design requirements that define a baseline or limit to reduce embodied carbon and/or greenhouse gas emissions from high-carbon building materials, systems, or construction activities.

Cooling Technology

The selection and design of cooling systems used to manage heat loads in data centers, taking into account energy efficiency, water use, climate conditions, operational requirements, and system performance. Cooling technologies may include air-cooled, liquid-cooled, evaporative, or hybrid systems, and are typically one of the most significant contributors to overall facility energy consumption.

Cooling Technology Selection Aligned with Water Availability

Design requirements that consider local water availability, water stress, climate conditions, operational requirements, and cooling-system performance when selecting cooling technologies for a development project.

Horizontal Design Standards

Design requirements for site preparation and external infrastructure, including grading, earthworks, access roads, drainage, stormwater systems, underground utilities, landscaping, and other site-level works that support sustainable development outcomes.

Landscape and Site Design

Design requirements for external site areas, landscaping, and ecological features that support biodiversity, stormwater management, reduced irrigation demand, employee wellbeing, and protection or restoration of local habitat.

Minimum Design PUE (dPUE)

A defined design-stage energy efficiency target for a data center, expressed as the ratio of total facility energy to IT equipment energy. The target is used to guide the design, layout, equipment selection, and performance expectations of the facility before operation.

Noise and Vibration Controls

Design requirements used to minimize the impact of noise and vibration from construction activities, mechanical equipment, cooling systems, generators, or other operational sources on the surrounding community.

Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE)

A metric used to measure the energy efficiency of a data center, defined as the ratio of total facility energy consumption to IT equipment energy consumption. PUE is used to assess and benchmark the efficiency of infrastructure systems supporting IT loads, with lower values indicating higher energy efficiency. For more information, see The Green Grid White Paper 49: PUE: A Comprehensive Examination of the Metric and Schneider Electric’s White Paper “Guidance for Calculation of Efficiency (PUE) in Data Centers”

Vertical Design Standards

Design requirements for the physical building or facility, including building layout, structure, envelope, mechanical and electrical systems, materials, equipment, and other building-level elements that support sustainable design, construction, and operational performance.

Evidence

The evidence provided will be subject to manual validation.

The evidence should support each of the selected issues. The provided evidence must cover the following elements:

• Demonstrate the existence of the selected requirements during the design phase of the entity’s development projects.

• The requirement should be formally incorporated into the entity’s horizontal/vertical design standards and applied consistently across new development projects.

Other Answer

The other answer(s) provided will be subject to manual validation.

Ensure that the “other” requirement focuses on the technical design of new facilities and not simply on-site work and landscaping.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the fraction assigned to the selected option, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

Evidence: For selections subject to manual validation, the validation status acts as a multiplier to determine that selection's final score.

If any requirements are not met, the evidence may not be accepted, depending on the level of alignment with the requirements.

Other: The 'Other' answer is manually validated and assigned a score, which is used as a multiplying factor, as per the table below:

​Scoring Basics

This indicator examines whether the entity uses advanced design and construction strategies as part of its sustainability approach for new developments. Applying such strategies can improve efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and support more consistent and scalable delivery of sustainable assets.

Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. If 'Yes', select all applicable sub-options.

Other: State the other industrial and/or modular strategy used in new developments. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of the selected option above.

Terminology

Containerized Design

Design approach where infrastructure is integrated into standardized container-like enclosures or transportable units that can be rapidly deployed and scaled.

Modular Capacity Planning

The process for determining the required capacity for power, cooling, and IT equipment at initial deployment and for future expansion, ensuring that each module meets load requirements without exceeding design limits and can be scaled through the seamless integration of additional modules.

Modular Expansion Ports

Pre-installed interfaces, connection points, or infrastructure provisions designed to enable the future addition or integration of new modules or systems with minimal disruption.

Prefabricated Modules

Constructed off-site modules containing integrated data center infrastructure components that are transported to site for assembly and deployment.

Remote Management Interfaces

Systems or interfaces that enable remote monitoring, control, and management of operational parameters, infrastructure systems, or equipment within a data center environment.

Volumetric Modules

Fully or largely enclosed building modules manufactured offsite in a factory and assembled onsite, most commonly by stacking or joining them together. These modules typically include the floor, walls, and ceiling, although some may be designed without a floor or roof, and usually require only limited additional work onsite before they are ready for use.

No evidence required.

The scoring of this indicator is equal to the sum of the fractions assigned to the selected options and respective sub-options, multiplied by the total score of the indicator.

Robb, 2024. Modular data centers: when they work and when they don’t. Data Center Knowledge, January 25. Link.

Tozzi, 2024. Best practices for planning and deploying modular data centers. Data Center Knowledge, January 31. Link.