Germany Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG) section 11: requirements for data centres

Current status

In force. A government amendment bill (Drucksache 21/8027) that would relax several of these values is in the Bundestag and has not been passed as of 18 October 2026. See de-enefg-amendment-2026.

Who it applies to

Data centres as defined in EnEfG § 3: structures for central housing and operation of IT with non-redundant nominal electrical connected load of 300 kW or more. Network nodes that mainly connect other data centres without processing data are excluded from the definition. PUE as defined by DIN EN 50600-4-2. Power used solely to upgrade waste heat (for example heat pumps) is excluded from the PUE calculation for new sites.

Exceptions: Reused-energy requirement for new sites does not apply if the operator shows (1) the share fell after commissioning through no fault of the operator, (2) a heat-use agreement exists with a nearby municipality or heat-network operator that can meet the requirement within ten years, including an investment plan and cost and price rules, or (3) a nearby heat-network operator did not accept an offer of heat at cost within six months although transfer infrastructure was provided.

What it means for cooling and power

Germany is the clearest legal driver in the cohort for heat-recovery interfaces (heat exchangers, heat pumps, transfer stations) and for low-PUE cooling designs. Projects starting operation from mid 2026 must plan reused-energy shares. The pending amendment could change values, so procurement specs should track both texts.

Editorial: business implications, not legal advice.

Upcoming dates

1. 1 Jan 2027: 100% renewable electricity coverage (current text, proposed to move to 2030) Applies to: all data centres in scope.
   Also recorded: 100% renewable electricity (balance-sheet) requirement applies under current text
   gesetze-im-internet.de (opens in a new tab)
2. 1 Jul 2027: Existing data centres PUE 1.5 annual average (current text, proposed 1.6) Applies to: existing data centres.
   Also recorded: Existing sites PUE 1.5 or lower. New sites from this date need planned 15% reused energy
   gesetze-im-internet.de (opens in a new tab)
3. 1 Jul 2028: New sites from this date need planned 20% reused energy
4. 1 Jul 2030: Existing sites PUE 1.3 or lower

History

1. 1 Jul 2026: New-build cut-off: sites starting operation from this date fall under new-site PUE 1.2 and 10% reused energy
2. 1 Jan 2024: 50% renewable electricity (balance-sheet) requirement applies
3. 18 Nov 2023: Effective date