Data centres are quickly becoming some of the most consequential buildings in Australia. They power everything from cloud services and AI to government systems and critical infrastructure, and their share of the nation’s electricity consumption is growing rapidly.
The CEFC and Baringa report Getting the Balance Right projects that data centres could grow from around 1% of national electricity consumption today to as much as 11% by 2035, with capacity growing roughly fourfold.
Growth on that scale attracts scrutiny. Clients, investors, communities and regulators all want to know how efficiently these facilities operate, and general sustainability claims are no longer enough. Verified operational performance is becoming the standard, and in Australia, NABERS is the benchmark for proving it.
A mandate already in force
Unlike other sectors where NABERS requirements are still emerging, data centres are already operating under a hard mandate.
Since 1 July 2025, data centres hosting Australian Government workloads have been required to hold a minimum 5-star NABERS Energy rating under the Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy. The requirement began with providers on the Digital Transformation Agency’s Data Centre Panel and now extends to all facilities hosting government workloads, whether contracted externally or operated by government.
A year on, the first wave of ratings certified ahead of the deadline is now due for renewal, as NABERS ratings are valid for 12 months. For operators, the first renewal is more than a compliance exercise. It is the first opportunity to demonstrate year-on-year improvement and to prove that efficiency gains have been maintained.
And while the mandate only applies to facilities hosting government workloads, it sets a benchmark for the rest of the market. Corporate clients tracking their Scope 3 emissions are increasingly asking for verified supplier data rather than self-reported claims, and a NABERS rating provides exactly that.
How NABERS rates data centres
NABERS Energy for data centres rates facilities from one to six stars based on Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), a globally recognised metric for data centre efficiency. As with all NABERS ratings, the assessment is based on 12 months of actual operational data rather than design intent, so the rating reflects how the facility genuinely performs.
There are three rating types, depending on what you control:
IT Equipment: For organisations that own or manage their IT equipment, including servers, storage devices and network equipment, but do not control support services such as cooling, lighting and security. The rating benchmarks the emissions associated with the energy consumed by the IT equipment.
Infrastructure: For data centre owners and operators, including co-location facilities where the operator provides cooling and power delivery but does not control tenant IT equipment. It measures how efficiently the facility delivers infrastructure services to the IT equipment it houses. This is the rating required under the government strategy.
Whole Facility: Combines both tools, designed for organisations that manage and occupy their own data centre, or where metering arrangements do not permit a separate IT Equipment or Infrastructure rating.
The rating can then be used to benchmark performance against other Australian facilities, identify operational improvements and cost savings, and communicate verified environmental credentials to clients and investors.
A strong rating also opens a further pathway: facilities with a NABERS Energy rating of 4 stars or above can pursue Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification by offsetting their remaining emissions.
Getting started with a data centre rating
NABERS ratings must be prepared by an Accredited Assessor, who collects and verifies the facility’s data before lodging it with the NABERS Technical Team for audit and certification.
To complete a rating, you will typically need to provide 12 months of energy data covering the rated scope, along with metering details and information about the facility and its operations. Clear metering boundaries are particularly important for data centres, as they determine which rating type is available and what is included in the assessment. An experienced assessor will review your data early, flag any gaps and confirm the right rating scope before the assessment begins.
As with all NABERS ratings, the result is valid for 12 months, making an annual cycle the natural rhythm. Each renewal becomes an opportunity to track performance trends, prove the impact of efficiency upgrades and set clear targets for the year ahead.
How NettZero can help
NettZero’s Accredited Assessors manage the full NABERS rating process from initial data collection and liaison through to site verification, calculation, internal QA and lodgement. Our team of qualified engineers brings the technical rigour that data centre assessments demand, and our portfolio approach means operators with multiple facilities get consistent processes, comparable data and full visibility across every site.
Whether you are preparing for your first rating to meet the government requirement, planning your first renewal, or looking to build energy performance into your competitive position, contact the NettZero team to discuss your data centre’s NABERS strategy.