Taiwan mandates energy efficiency manuals for large data centers

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) of Taiwan has amended three subordinate regulations so that information service providers, including hyperscale and colocation data centers with contracted electricity capacity of at least 5 MW, must submit Energy Utilization Manuals (EUMs) using Best Available Techniques for approval at the planning stage of new builds or expansions.

• Amendments to the Regulations Governing the Assessment of Energy Development and Utilization, Scope of Applied Energy Users, and Forms of Energy Utilization Manual and Essential Particulars require qualifying information service activities (≥ 5 MW contracted capacity) to file EUMs before plant construction, adopt BATs, and address seven key efficiency items (IT equipment selection, software/service configuration, data management, cooling, power systems, energy monitoring/management, and overall performance).
• The Energy Administration, referencing EU data center energy efficiency guidelines and practices in Japan, Singapore, and Germany, has adopted Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) targets of ≤1.3 for hyperscale and ≤1.4 for colocation data centers; the rules follow consultations with scholars and operators and aim to improve grid burden, energy efficiency, and industrial decarbonization while supporting Taiwan’s digital transformation.