Electricity Supply

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 Reports. Participants should use this open text box to provide further details, context, or comments related to the subject.

Terminology

Electricity Supply

The sources and procurement arrangements through which electricity is provided to support the entity’s operations, including on-site generation, grid-supplied electricity, and contractual procurement instruments.

No evidence required.

This indicator assesses whether the entity has set an electricity supply strategy and/or direction of travel, including short- and medium- to long-term targets/objectives and, where relevant, alignment with external voluntary frameworks. A clear strategy supports a forward-looking approach to managing energy supply risks and opportunities and maintaining operational resilience and stakeholder support.

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

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

• Governmental frameworks should only include non-binding frameworks established by government bodies. A legislative framework falls outside the scope.

• 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.

Example:

The entity has a long-term objective to reduce embodied carbon by 35% relative to an industry baseline (mtCO2e/m2). The entity is working toward this objective with a short-term objective to increase the fraction of suppliers providing LCA-based information on the embodied carbon of their materials.

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.

Energy procurement

The process of sourcing and purchasing energy for an entity’s operations, including electricity, fuels, and renewable energy, from suppliers or other generation sources.

Governmental framework(s)

Non-binding guidelines or initiatives established by government bodies to support greenhouse gas emissions management.

Industry-agnostic framework(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 has implemented structured electricity supply management practices to deliver its strategy. Effective governance, clear accountability, established policies, performance monitoring, and corrective action processes demonstrate the entity’s ability to manage electricity supply risks and ensure reliable and efficient delivery.

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

Other: State the other practices used to manage electricity supply. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above.

Terminology

Communication protocol

Formally established processes for sharing relevant information.

Corrective action

Corrective action in the context of safety refers to the systematic steps taken to eliminate the root causes of safety incidents, hazards, or non-compliance issues to prevent their recurrence. It typically involves investigating the underlying causes, implementing specific measures to address deficiencies, and monitoring the effectiveness of these measures to ensure lasting improvement in workplace safety performance.

Day-to-day implementation responsibility

The assigned responsibility for carrying out, managing, and monitoring the regular activities needed to put a policy, program, or process into practice.

Dedicated employee(s) on sustainability issues

Employee(s) whose primary responsibility is defining, implementing and monitoring the sustainability objectives at entity level.

External

Individuals or groups outside the reporting entity who influence or are influenced by its activities or decisions (e.g., investors, customers/tenants, communities).

Internal

Individuals or groups within the reporting entity who directly contribute to, oversee, or are affected by its operations and decisions (e.g., employees, leadership, contractors working under the organization's direction).

Policy

A policy is an organizational commitment, direction or intention that is formally adopted by the organization. It may serve the purpose of:

1. Outlining rules and procedures

2. Providing principles that guide action

3. Setting roles and responsibilities

4. Describing values and beliefs

5. Stating an intention to act or achieve defined goals and/or company vision

Mechanisms for evaluation and corrective action

Processes used to review greenhouse gas emissions performance and implement changes or improvements where needed.

Risk assessment

Careful examination of the factors that could potentially adversely impact the value or longevity of a data center. The results of the assessment assist in identifying measures that have to be implemented in order to prevent and mitigate the risks.

Risk evaluation

Comparing risk analysis results with risk criteria to determine whether the residual risk is tolerable.

Senior decision-maker responsible for sustainability-related issues

A senior individual with sign off (approval) authority for approving strategic sustainability objectives and steps undertaken to achieve these objectives. The responsible person oversees day-to-day execution, coordinates relevant stakeholders, and ensures progress towards define sustainability goals, but does not hold final-sign off authority for approving strategic decisions.

System(s) for performance measurement, data management, and reporting

The processes, tools, and systems used to collect, manage, analyze, and report energy-related data. These systems enable the monitoring of energy performance, tracking of targets, identification of trends, and disclosure of energy information to support decision-making and accountability.

Evidence

The evidence provided will be subject to manual validation.

The evidence should support each of the selected practices. The provided evidence must ensure the following:

1. Senior decision-maker vs. day-to-day responsibility: If the same person is selected for both “a senior decision-maker or executive with end responsibility” and “one or more persons with responsibility for day-to-day implementation,” the evidence must explicitly state that this person both signs off on the electricity supply approach and oversees its implementation on a day-to-day basis.

2. Policy: The evidence must demonstrate the existence of a formal policy document that addresses electricity supply, and not simply a list of general goals and/or commitments. A policy is a guide for action and may serve the purpose of:

   • outlining rules and procedures;

   • providing principles that guide action;

   • setting roles and responsibilities;

   • describing values and beliefs;

   • stating an intention to act or achieve defined goals and/or company vision.

   Acceptable evidence may include, but is not limited to, an electricity supply policy, official internal documents, or links to online resources describing the entity’s electricity supply policy. References such as bullet points or extracts from the policy may be provided to show the relevant sections. Where overarching policy documents cover multiple issues, the evidence must clearly identify the section(s) relevant to electricity supply.

3. Systems for performance measurement, data management, and reporting: The evidence must demonstrate a systematic process used to measure, manage, and report electricity supply performance data. This may include tools, systems, dashboards, registers, or other formal processes used for tracking and reporting electricity supply information.

4. Internal and external communication protocols: The evidence must demonstrate the process used to communicate material electricity supply information internally and, where relevant, externally. If a policy is in place, what matters here is not only the existence of the policy, but also the communication channels or protocols used to share relevant electricity supply information with the appropriate stakeholders.

5. Mechanisms for evaluation and corrective action: The evidence must demonstrate the method used to review electricity supply performance and address identified issues. This may include incident investigation processes, corrective action plans, audits, root-cause analysis, escalation procedures, or other methods used to respond to incidents, accidents, breaches, or non-compliance.

Other Answer

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

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 identifies whether the entity can report on on-site and off-site actions implemented during the reporting year to deliver its electricity supply strategy. Demonstrating implementation provides evidence that commitments are being translated into practice and supports stakeholder understanding of progress.

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

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.

Control-Weighted

Control: The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.

Control-Weighted Score: GRESB provides a Control-Weighted Score as a supplementary score in the Insights Report. This score adjusts results based on the entity’s level of control over the indicators, illustrating how the GRESB Base Score changes when control is taken into account.

Scoring Basics

Terminology

Demand energy response (DER)

Demand response is a program or strategy where electricity consumers adjust their power consumption in response to signals from the grid operator, typically reducing usage during peak demand periods or when grid reliability is threatened. This approach helps balance electricity supply and demand, prevent blackouts, reduce strain on infrastructure, and can provide financial incentives to participants while supporting grid stability and integration of renewable energy sources.

Energy generated offsite

The purchase of electricity or associated contractual instruments (e.g., power purchase agreements or energy attribute certificates) to reduce market-based emissions, where the environmental attributes are contractually allocated to the entity.

Energy generated onsite

Energy produced at a property or facility for direct use by that site, rather than purchased from an external supplier or delivered through the public utility grid.. For example, solar PV-generated electricity.

Natural gas

Gaseous fossil fuel comprised mostly of methane. Can be compressed (CNG) or liquified (LNG).

Renewable energy

Energy derived from sources that can be replenished in a short time through natural cycles or processes, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass.

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 assesses whether the entity can measure and report quantitative electricity supply performance during the reporting year, including key metrics and any additional monitored metrics, as well as coverage of the reported data. Quantitative measurement strengthens transparency and accountability by enabling performance tracking over time.

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

• Selecting 'Yes' to the indicator will require reporting a value for at least the required metrics (Total Electricity Consumption and at least one of the Sources of electricity supply). The remaining metrics ("track any other electricity supply metrics") are optional.

  • % of Total Electricity Consumption = Electricity from source ÷ Total reported electricity consumption

• Other: State the other types of attribution or procurement for grid-provided clean electricity, sources of on-site electricity generation, and/or other electricity supply metrics. Ensure that the other answer provided is not a duplicate of a selected option above. Additionally, if applicable, provide the other electricity supply metric.

Control-Weighted

Control: The extent to which the reporting entity has the authority and ability to (i) implement actions and/or (ii) influence and collect performance measurement outcomes for a given sustainability topic.

Control-Weighted Score: GRESB provides a Control-Weighted Score as a supplementary score in the Insights Report. This score adjusts results based on the entity’s level of control over the indicators, illustrating how the GRESB Base Score changes when control is taken into account.

Scoring Basics

Terminology

Bundled

Reflects the situation in which the purchase of physical electricity and the associated environmental attributes (EACs) are sold together as part of the same transaction or contract. This creates a clear link between the Renewable Energy being consumed and its environmental benefits.

Electricity generated behind-the-meter

Energy produced at a property or facility for direct use by that site, rather than purchased from an external supplier or delivered through the public utility grid.. For example, solar PV-generated electricity.

Financial/Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA)

A contract for the financial settlement of renewable electricity at a fixed price, without physical delivery. The buyer receives the associated Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs).

Geothermal

Energy generated from heat within the Earth's crust.

Natural gas

Gaseous fossil fuel comprised mostly of methane. Can be compressed (CNG) or liquified (LNG).

Nuclear

Energy generated from nuclear reactions. This includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Nuclear energy is not renewable.

Physical Power Purchase Agreement (Physical PPA)

A contract for the physical delivery of (or title to) renewable electricity through the grid.

Renewable energy

Energy derived from sources that can be replenished in a short time through natural cycles or processes, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

REC is also known as Tradeable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) and green tags, represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from renewable sources and fed into the power grid.

Renewable Energy Factor (REF)

The share of renewable energy in the total energy consumption of the data center. It reflects the extent to which energy use is supplied by renewable sources, rather than the efficiency of electricity generation itself.

Unbundled

Refers to a situation where Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) are separated from the physical electricity they represent and sold or traded independently of the actual energy. The “Unbundled” option should be selected if EACs are acquired via virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) or to reflect the use of “replacement Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)” or “REC arbitrage” in which the original EACs of a particular energy procurement contract are substituted for others on an EAC market.

Waste heat recovery and export

The process of capturing excess thermal energy that would otherwise be lost, and either reusing it on-site or selling it to external users. This practice improves overall energy efficiency by converting waste heat into useful energy.

Wind

Energy generated from wind in turbines. Can be off- or onshore.

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.