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Estimate a data center’s electricity-related carbon footprint by totaling the electricity used within a defined facility boundary and reporting period, then multiplying that energy by an emissions factor matched to the facility’s location, year, and accounting method. Use utility bills or meter data when available; use IT energy multiplied by PUE only when a facility total is unavailable.

1. Define the facility boundary and reporting period

Decide whether the calculation covers one data center or a portfolio, and choose a calendar or fiscal year. Include all electricity meters that serve the facility, but do not count tenant or submetered loads twice when they are already included in a larger facility meter. The meter boundary and period must stay consistent throughout the calculation.

2. Get the electricity-use data

Use utility bills, interval data, or facility-meter readings for the same period and boundary. The U.S. EPA’s eGRID guidance says to collect electricity use in megawatt-hours (MWh), generally from billing records, and sum the use for the facilities covered by the analysis. Convert kilowatt-hours (kWh) to MWh by dividing by 1,000.

Example: If the included meters total 2,400,000 kWh for the reporting year, the facility used 2,400 MWh (2,400,000 ÷ 1,000). This is an illustrative conversion, not a typical data-center usage figure.

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3. Estimate facility energy from IT energy only when necessary

If you cannot obtain a facility-wide total, you can estimate it from IT equipment energy when you have a PUE value measured over the same period and facility boundary:

Estimated facility energy (MWh) = IT equipment energy (MWh) × PUE

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PUE, or power usage effectiveness, is total data-center energy divided by IT equipment energy. It accounts for facility support loads such as power delivery, cooling, and lighting. It is a ratio—not an emissions factor. Prefer the direct facility-meter total when one is available; a PUE-based estimate is only as well matched as the underlying readings. The Green Grid’s PUE guidance describes the metric and its definition.

4. Choose an emissions factor for the facility’s grid

An emissions factor expresses emissions per unit of electricity. It varies by grid geography and year, so do not apply a universal factor to every facility or reporting period.

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For a U.S. location-based estimate

Use the applicable U.S. EPA eGRID subregion output emission rate. EPA’s Power Profiler identifies a facility’s eGRID subregion from its ZIP code. Subregions reflect physical grid constraints, making the subregion factor more location-specific than a national average. Select a factor vintage appropriate to the reporting year; the EPA’s 2025 Emission Factors Hub lists its January 2025 annual update and eGRID-derived electricity factors. Do not silently use an older factor for a newer reporting year.

For a location outside the United States

Use the applicable factor published by the local government or grid operator, following the relevant reporting standard. The GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 guidance advises using supplier-specific factors when available; otherwise use regional or power-pool government factors, then a national average if more local factors are unavailable.

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5. Calculate and label the emissions result

For the EPA eGRID location-based calculation, multiply electricity use in MWh by the eGRID output emission rate in pounds per MWh:

Electricity use (MWh) × eGRID output emission rate (lb/MWh) = emissions (lb)

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For example, if a facility used 2,400 MWh and its applicable factor were 700 lb/MWh, the calculation would be 1,680,000 lb of emissions. The factor in this example is illustrative only; use the factor for the facility’s grid subregion and reporting year. Convert pounds to kilograms or metric tonnes explicitly if those are the units you report, and label the result with the period, factor source and vintage, and facility boundary.

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6. Keep Scope 2 and Scope 3 accounting distinct

The eGRID calculation above estimates location-based Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity. Under the GHG Protocol, a market-based Scope 2 result may also apply where relevant supplier data or contractual instruments are available. Report that result separately and disclose the factors and contractual instruments used; it answers a different accounting question from the location-based result.

Transmission and distribution losses should not be silently added to the location-based Scope 2 figure. EPA’s grid gross-loss estimate is often used for Scope 3 reporting. If you include those losses, present them as a separate Scope 3 estimate and identify the method and factor used.

How to compare two data-center estimates

Before interpreting a difference as better or worse performance, check whether the estimates use comparable:

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  • Facility boundaries, including tenant and ancillary loads.
  • Reporting periods and complete meter data.
  • Measured facility energy or PUE-derived energy.
  • Emissions-factor sources, vintages, and grid geographies.
  • Location-based or market-based accounting methods.
  • Treatment of transmission and distribution losses, if reported separately as Scope 3.

PUE alone cannot rank total carbon footprints: total electricity use and grid emissions intensity also affect the result.

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