Our PEP campaign

In order to drive the uptake of EPDs across data center equipment manufacturers, we are advocating in partnership with the Association of the Product Environmental Passport (PEP). Further, we are hosting the official PEP database in our Open Data Hub.

A critical component: Environmental impact of data center facilities

There is a lack of available EPDs for data center equipment. However, to perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCAs) of a data center facility, both the building and the equipment have to be considered. Whereas the building sector is already well underway to have consistent life cycle data available, the equipment manufacturers are lacking behind.

Furthermore, the data center facility, together with IT equipment represents the physical infrastructure for the digital economy (see our Taxonomy) and therefore the availability of environmental impact data is critical to assess the environmental footprint of digital applications, products & services (see our Digital Environmental Footprint).

The required specifications (PSR and PCR, see our glossary) on how to perform an LCA for the electrical & HVAC equipment deployed in data center facilities, as well as accreditation for independent verifiers has already been established by the PEP Association in France.

However, to make the EPDs usable in the calculation of the environmental impact of the total facility, the information needs to be technically available (e.g. to a DCIM or to our Environmental Data Agent). This access needs to be enabled through an API, which is why the PEP database needs to be available in our Open Data Hub.

Identified challenges

There is a lack of awareness for EPDs and a lack of available EPDs for most data center equipment

The existing EPDs are not technically accessible via an API for the assessment of the total environmental footprint of a data center facility

Strategy

Partner with the PEP Association to migrate their database into the Open Data Hub and make it available as open data as well as raise awareness together, encouraging more manufacturers to release EPDs.

Actions

Sign a partnership agreement between PEP and the SDIA which includes a revenue share on new members as well as an agreement on the EPD data to be made available in the SDIA Open Data Hub

Migrate the PEP database into the Open Data Hub and replace the database on the PEP website with the SDIA Open Data Hub

Create a communication plan with the PEP Association and co-host events & create educational content to promote more EPDs to be done by manufacturers; with funding coming from PEP Association & its consultancy members

Engage the SDIA membership base (STULZ, Vertiv, Legrand) and enable to to be thought-leaders, showing that data centers using their equipment can benefit from the EPDs released by the manufacturers (conferences, online events, articles)

Engage with the SDIA consultant program and enable the opportunity of performing LCAs & verification of EPDs for data center equipment companies (Royal Haskoning) and plan further joint communication on the topic (funded by the consulting partner)

Creating a study of the state of LCAs & EPDs in the data center equipment manufacturing industry (e.g. checking all their websites and releasing some statistics based on that)

Pre-check

Inky to check out PEP and verify that it’s trustworthy and worth supporting

Get feedback from our key members (Vertiv, STULZ, Legrand) on the PEP experience

Chat with PEP to see what their challenges are

Check with the verifiers of PEPs if they are trustworthy companies (ask BV, TÜV)