A new tool, designed by the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) is being trialled in Australia. It is designed to provide star ratings on one to five for Australian data centers, based on efficiency.

 

A report by Australia’s ITwire said the tool, which will encourage data center operators there to aim for a rating of 2.5 to 5 (5 being the most energy efficient), should be released by November.

 

ITWire quoted New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water Andrew McEachem, who was speaking at a Cebit conference in Sydney, as saying the tool would help data center transition to the Emissions Trading System (ETS), which he thought would be inevitable in future.

 

It will be available free of charge but data centers will need to have their star ratings awarded by accredited consultants.

 

Like the power usage effectiveness rating (PUE) introduced by The Green Grid, the tool will first apply only to power, but could involve water – the use of which is a pressing concern in Australia – at a later date.