Singapore launches new energy efficient standard for IT equipment
New standard sets clear path to 30% energy savings for data centres.
Singapore on Friday launched a new standard for energy-efficient IT equipment, part of its drive towards sustainable data centres.
In its announcement, IMDA says the new "SS 715:2025: Energy Efficiency of Data Centre IT Equipment" was designed to help data centre users improve their energy efficiency by at least 30%.
The SS 715:2025 standard adopts three main strategies: using more energy-efficient equipment, best practices for IT deployments, and running systems at higher temperatures.
Energy-efficient equipment
The idea here is simple. The standard offers businesses a way to choose more energy-efficient equipment when deciding on new IT systems. By setting minimum efficiency thresholds, it effectively pushes the entire industry towards better energy performance
On this front, it outlines standardised testing methodologies, sets minimum levels of energy efficiency, and aligns with certifications like Energy Star and Ecodesign. This gives businesses clear benchmarks when making purchasing decisions.
Deployment best practices
Beyond equipment selection, it outlines best practices and guidelines on the deployment and operation of IT equipment to reap energy savings.
Some examples include replacing old IT systems with multi-functional systems, increasing equipment utilisation through monitoring, and using more capable systems that do more per watt. These aren't revolutionary ideas, but standardising them creates accountability.
Higher temperatures
Perhaps most significantly, SS 715:2025 sets out 35°C for IT equipment in data centres, opening the door for operators to run cooling systems at higher temperatures, in line with the Tropical Data Centre standard (SS697:2023).
This is crucial, as a final barrier to running IT equipment at higher temperatures is often rooted in fear. Defining it in a standard means there's no longer an excuse to insist on too-cold temperatures in data halls. For tropical Singapore, this could mean significant energy savings on cooling alone.
Towards the next DC-CFA
Like recent standards released as a Singapore Standard, SS 715:2025 is available for purchase at the Singapore Standards website.
Bit by bit, the next Data Centre Call for Application (DC-CFA) is drawing closer, as key components are finalised and announced. This standard is clearly another piece of that puzzle, setting the efficiency bar for future data centre approvals.
I'll write more about Singapore's programme for smart data centre growth in a subsequent post. For now, it's clear that any data centre operator hoping to win capacity in Singapore's next allocation round should be studying this standard closely.
