Energy consumption without control: One in four data centre operators fails to track energy usage

A late‑2025 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, study commissioned by Janitza reveals that nearly one in four data centre operators does not monitor the power consumption of their primary sites, even as AI workloads drive unprecedented pressure on electrical and cooling infrastructure. Without precise, real‑time energy data, operators cannot safely scale AI‑ready capacity or protect their investments. ​ 

451 Research, the technology market intelligence unit of S&P Global, surveyed 208 data centre professionals to assess how efficiently business‑critical facilities operate today, using Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) as a key metric. Just over half of respondents reported a PUE between 1.5 and 2.0, while 23 percent admitted they are not tracking this fundamental performance indicator at all. ​ 

The study highlights a structural business risk: power has become the limiting factor in building, scaling and monetising AI‑capable infrastructure. Highly dynamic AI workloads drive power fluctuations of up to 40 to 70 percent within milliseconds, creating new challenges for power quality and increasing the risk of outages and equipment damage.  

“In an environment where milliseconds matter, flexibility and data expertise are the critical differentiators.” the report notes. ​ 

Reliable, high‑resolution energy data now underpins predictive maintenance, capacity planning and revenue optimisation in modern data centres. Operators who capture and analyse detailed power and power‑quality data can detect emerging faults earlier, extend the lifetime of critical components and avoid unplanned downtime. As rack power densities rise towards 40–120 kW and AI models continue to grow, the study finds that comprehensive monitoring across the entire power chain, from grid connection to individual racks, is becoming a decisive competitive factor. ​ 

Janitza focuses on providing the measurement technology and software required to transform this operational transparency into concrete business value for data centres. By combining advanced power quality analyers with GridVis® power grid monitoring software, Janitza enables operators to visualise their electrical infrastructure in detail, document PUE and other KPIs, and implement targeted optimisation measures. 

Summary 

A late‑2025 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence study commissioned by Janitza shows that many data centres still lack the power usage transparency needed to scale AI infrastructure safely and profitably. Nearly one in four data centre operators does not monitor power consumption in their primary sites despite growing AI workloads 

• In a survey of 208 professionals, just over half reported a PUE of 1.5–2.0, while 23 percent do not track PUE at all 
• The study warns that volatile AI workloads cause rapid 40–70 percent power swings, raising outage and equipment damage risks 
• High‑resolution energy data is now essential for predictive maintenance, capacity planning, revenue optimisation and full-chain monitoring from grid to rack 
• Janitza provides measurement technology and GridVis® software to visualise power usage, document PUE and KPIs and drive targeted optimisation​​