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ASHRAE 90.4 — Data Center Energy Standard

Updated May 18, 2026
Mandatory energy efficiency for data centers: PUE design ceiling, mechanical load component, electrical loss component.

ASHRAE Standard 90.4-2022 governs energy efficiency of data centers and is referenced by Title 24 Part 6 §140.9 (CA) and IECC §C407 (AZ/NV). PUE design ceiling varies by climate zone: ZN-3 coastal CA 1.61 design / 1.84 annualized; ZN-2B Phoenix and Las Vegas 1.40 design / 1.61 annualized — desert climates have tighter limits because economizer hours are fewer. Required: airside economizers above ~10kW per rack density when climate supports, hot-aisle / cold-aisle containment, variable-speed fans, on-site PV per Title 24 (CA only).

TAGS
data-centerenergyPUEASHRAEtitle-24
DETAILS
edition
2022
use case
["data-center"]
adopted by
["ca-statewide","az-statewide","nv-statewide","ca-sf","az-phx","nv-lv"]
code system
ASHRAE
confidence tier
primary
SOURCES
🔗https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-gui...
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