Digital Realty Hits 1.5 GW Clean Energy Milestone
Digital Realty sets out its 2024 environmental achievements with a clear focus on clean energy, resource conservation and global climate responsibility.
As the world’s largest provider of cloud and carrier-neutral colocation and interconnection data centres, the company uses its annual Impact Report to give a detailed view of how it manages sustainability across its global footprint.
Matching data centres with clean energy
At the heart of the report is the announcement that Digital Realty now has 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity under contract. This includes major investments in solar and wind power, as well as onsite solar installations totalling 8.8 megawatts (MW).
The company has matched 185 data centres with 100% renewable energy. These facilities span regions including Europe, Sydney, Singapore, Texas and New Jersey, as well as the entire North American colocation portfolio.
“Digital Realty continued to make strong progress towards its sustainability goals in 2024, reaching 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity under contract and matching 185 data centres with 100% renewable energy,” says Andrew Power, President and Chief Executive at Digital Realty.
“This reflects our commitment to build, power and operate sustainable data centres, which is trusted and relied upon by more than 5,000 customers.”
The company reports that it has increased its global renewable electricity usage to 75%, up 9% from the year before. It also introduced hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO 100) renewable diesel at 30 sites, covering 17% of its operating portfolio. This cleaner-burning fuel is used in backup generators and offers a low-carbon alternative to standard diesel.
In Zurich, the company secured a full certification of its portfolio under the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association rating system. This includes a Gold+ energy efficiency rating – the first of its kind in the sector.
Hitting energy savings and certification targets
Energy efficiency projects introduced in 2024 are expected to save 42,400 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity and avoid 28,500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. Digital Realty has now earned ENERGY STAR certification for 69% of its US portfolio by IT capacity – more than any other data centre provider. ENERGY STAR is a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programme that recognises buildings with top-tier energy performance.
The renewable energy procurement programme, which backs this performance, is defined by three main components:
- 1.5 GW of solar and wind projects under contract
- 8.8 MW of onsite solar installations
- 100% renewable energy use across Europe, Sydney, Singapore, Texas, New Jersey and all North American colocation facilities
This is bolstered by green building standards across 15 million square feet of operational space, including eight global data centres newly certified under systems such as LEED and BREEAM.
Addressing water use in the age of AI data centres
Digital Realty’s sustainability strategy also places growing emphasis on water. Amid the boom in AI-powered data centres – which tend to consume large amounts of energy and water – the company highlights its efforts to cut dependence on potable water for cooling and irrigation.
Through its ongoing collaboration with Ecolab, Digital Realty has deployed an AI-based water management tool that identifies opportunities to reduce water consumption. This has helped it meet 42% of its total irrigation and cooling demand using non-potable water.
In the North American colocation portfolio, water usage intensity has dropped 14% year-over-year, thanks in part to water-free cooling systems now in place across several sites.
Aaron Binkley, Vice President of Sustainability at Digital Realty, reflects on the broader goals: “The progress highlighted in our 2024 Impact Report was built on years of continued commitment to transitioning towards more sustainable operations.
“As we look to 2025 and beyond, advancing sustainable data centre practices will require deeper innovation, stronger partnerships and continued investment in next-generation solutions, from renewable energy integration and water conservation to low-carbon fuels and green data centre design.
“At Digital Realty, we’re committed to leading this evolution, ensuring that the infrastructure powering the digital economy is resilient and responsible.”
