Variations in Energy Intensities

Data centers are extremely energy intensive, using up to 100-times as much energy per square foot as typical commercial buildings.

Comparison of energy costs for high-tech buildings and conventional building types. Schools, Offices, and Hospitals from USDOE/EIA Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (1999 values). High-Tech buildings from LBNL benchmarking databases. Cleanrooms with the highest cleanliness standards can use significantly more energy than those shown.

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory