Oeko-Institut Outlines Sustainable Data Center Strategy for Germany

Germany's data centers consume 5% of the country's electricity. The Oeko-Institut's strategy aims to make them greener, more efficient, and better accepted by communities.

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2025 October 3 . 6:03 AM

1 min read

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Oeko-Institut Outlines Sustainable Data Center Strategy for Germany

A report on a national strategy for sustainable data centers was published on September 24, 2025, in Berlin. The organization behind it remains unclear from current search results. The Oeko-Institut, a leading independent research and consulting institution, has provided recommendations for the strategy.

The Oeko-Institut, based in Freiburg, Darmstadt, and Berlin, suggests minimum standards for the federal government's strategy. These include sustainable site selection, best efficiency standards, transparency, use of 100% renewable energies, investments in expansion, flexibility, and waste heat utilization.

German data centers currently consume around 26 terawatt hours of electricity annually, about five percent of the country's total consumption. This is projected to double by 2030. The Oeko-Institut recommends building data centers where there's sufficient renewable energy, no area conflicts, no water scarcity, and where waste heat can be utilized. It also calls for clear guidelines on energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and public participation in planning.

The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Modernization is developing a national data center strategy to make Germany more attractive for these facilities. The Oeko-Institut's recommendations aim to ensure an environmentally compatible, socially accepted, and economically viable design for data center locations.