A metric that measures power usage efficiency at IT facilities, such as data centers
A key metric to measure energy efficiency at IT facilities
PUE—an abbreviation for Power Usage Effectiveness—is a key metric used to assess energy efficiency at data centers and other facilities. PUE is calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the entire data center by the energy consumed solely by IT equipment, such as servers and network devices. The closer the PUE value is to 1.0, the more efficient the data center is in terms of its energy usage. A low PUE indicates that a greater proportion of energy is being used to directly power IT hardware, with minimal energy lost to ancillary infrastructure like cooling systems and lighting.
As digital transformation (DX) and AI adoption continue to accelerate, data centers have become increasingly important infrastructure. However, their critical role has also led to a sharp rise in power consumption, raising concerns about the power supply and demand balance and environmental impact. In the global push toward decarbonization, environmentally conscious facility management has become critical—not only for sustainability but also for competitive reasons. PUE plays a vital role in visualizing energy inefficiencies and serves as a key benchmark for implementing energy-saving measures and improving operational efficiencies.
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), in pursuit of its goal to provide next-generation social infrastructure, is working to address the surging power demands of AI-driven data processing. SoftBank is deploying distributed AI data centers across Japan, aiming to reduce energy consumption by optimizing operations with AI and promoting distributed, energy-efficient computing.
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(Posted on July 10, 2025)
by SoftBank News Editors
