AI Glossary

Power usage effectiveness

Also called PUE

What does “Power usage effectiveness” mean?

Power usage effectiveness: Compares a data center's total energy use with the energy that reaches the computing equipment itself. A value of 1.0 would mean no energy went to cooling, lighting or power conversion. Lower is better, though PUE says nothing about whether the computing work itself is efficient.

Power usage effectiveness visual guide: Compares a data center's total energy use with the energy that reaches the computing equipment itself. A value of 1.0 would mean no energy went to cooling, lighting or power conversion. Lower is better, though PUE says nothing about whether the computing work itself is efficient.
Visual guide Open full size (new tab)

What is an example of “Power usage effectiveness”?

Operators often cite PUE to show how much of their electricity goes to computing rather than overhead.

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See also

AI energy useTermData center coolingTermData centerTermHyperscalerTerm

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