Digital Realty Impact Report Reveals 1.5GW Energy Milestone
The global data centre provider has matched 185 facilities with 100% renewable energy, as it looks to advance its sustainability metrics across multiple areas of operation.
As the largest global provider of cloud and carrier-neutral data centre colocation and interconnection solutions, Digital Realty has released its Impact Report to showcase its industry-leading sustainability performance. This includes a comprehensive overview of its clean energy commitment, resource conservation and other sustainable business practices.
- Reaching 1.5GW of renewable energy capacity under contract
- Matching 185 data centres to 100% renewable energy
- Achieving 75% renewable electricity globally, up 9% from last year
- Rolling out hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO 100) renewable diesel across 30 sites
- Earning ENERGY STAR certifications for 69% of its US portfolio, more than any other provider
- Securing an industry-first Gold+ energy efficiency rating in Zurich
“Digital Realty continued to make strong progress towards its sustainability goals in 2024, reaching 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity under contract and matching 185 data centres with 100% renewable energy,” says Andrew Power, President and CEO 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.”
A global commitment to renewable energy procurement
The company’s renewable energy procurement programme includes 1.5GW of new solar and wind projects under contract and 8.8 megawatts (MW) of onsite solar installations.
Notably, Digital Realty achieved 100% renewable energy for its portfolios in Europe, Sydney, Singapore, Texas and New Jersey, alongside all facilities in its North American colocation portfolio.
The energy efficiency projects implemented during 2024 are expected to save 42,400 megawatt hours (MWh) and 28,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. As a result, the company has secured US EPA ENERGY STAR certification for 69% of its US-managed portfolio by IT capacity.
This means it has obtained more ENERGY STAR certifications than any other data centre provider globally.
- 1.5GW of new solar and wind projects under contract
- 8.8 megawatt (MW) of onsite solar installations
- 100% renewable energy for its portfolios in Europe, Sydney, Singapore, Texas and New Jersey and all facilities in its North American colocation portfolio
- 185 data centres matched with 100% renewable energy
With its portfolio in Zurich, Digital Realty certified 100% of it under the Swiss Datacenter Efficiency Association rating, including an industry-first Gold+ certification.
Also hoping to extend its sustainability strategy even further, the company rolled out hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO 100) renewable diesel across 30 sites, covering 17% of its global operating portfolio.
Advancing water conservation amid the AI data centre hype
Water management initiatives resulted in 42% of Digital Realty’s irrigation and cooling needs being met through non-potable water sources. The company has been committed to reducing water use across its data centres for some time, particularly through its partnership with Ecolab to deploy an AI-powered water management solution that pinpoints opportunities to cut water use.
This is especially poignant, given the surge in interest for AI data centres – which are expected to use high levels of power and water in order to run.
Digital Realty also managed to reduce overall water usage intensity for its North American colocation portfolio by 14% year-over-year through water-free cooling systems.
Likewise, the company has certified eight global data centres totalling 1.9 million square feet in accordance with sustainable building standards including LEED and BREEAM certifications during 2024.
It now operates more than 15 million square feet certified under green building standards.
Additionally, Digital Realty is maintaining alignment with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations and conducts regular risk assessments alongside physical and cyber-security safeguards.
It seeks to encompass reliability and resilience measures for operational, security, weather and climate change-related events.
“The progress highlighted in our 2024 Impact Report was built on years of continued commitment to transitioning towards more sustainable operations,” says Aaron Binkley, Vice President of Sustainability at Digital Realty.
“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.”
