Smarter Sustainability
Starts Here
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Integrated Carbon-Free Energy (ICFEn) — nLighten's next-level approach to sustainable infrastructure
At nLighten, we’re not just reducing our carbon footprint — we’re actively reshaping how data centers support the energy system. The industry has already recognised the shortcomings of the current renewable energy certification process and responded with the Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) metric, which matches generation with consumption on an hourly basis. At nLighten, we’ve taken this a step further with ICFEn: Integrated Carbon-Free Energy — a new standard that goes beyond carbon-neutral marketing to deliver measurable, system-wide benefits, accounting not only for electricity use but also for exported heat and grid stabilisation.
Setting a New Standard for Data Center Sustainability
Traditional “100% renewable” claims rely on annual certificate models. We’ve moved beyond that. With ICFEn, we combine real-time, regional carbon-free electricity usage with heat recovery and energy reuse, giving a full picture of both what our data centers consume — and what they contribute back.
What is CFE and why does it matter?
Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) correlates energy consumed with carbon free sources on an hourly granularity. It’s a major step forward from conventional renewable certificates.
Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) measures electricity matched hourly with carbon-free sources in the same grid. It’s a major step forward from conventional renewable certificates.
| Aspect | Traditional Renewable Energy Certificates /Guarantees of Origin |
24/7 CFE | ICFE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Matching | Annual | Hourly | Hourly |
| Source Location | Anywhere | Same region | Same region |
| Grid Impact | Limited | High | High |
| Transparency | Yearly reports | Hourly data | Hourly data |
| Energy accounted for | Electricity | Electricity | Electricity and Heat |
Why Hourly Matching Matters
Annual renewable energy claims often hide mismatches between when carbon free energy is produced and when it’s actually used.
This chart highlights a key problem with traditional renewable energy certificates (RECs) and how they rely on annual matching, not real-time usage.
A data center may claim to be “100% renewable” for the year but still run on fossil fuel power for many hours each day. The gaps shown in this chart are exactly what 24/7 CFE, and ultimately ICFEn, aim to fix.
Hourly matching ensures clean energy is actually powering the data center when it’s being used, not just averaged out over the year.
Curious About More Detailed Data for your Region or Facility Type?
Want to know how your business or region compares? We can provide hourly data with market-specific or facility-level insights. Fill out the form below and your local nLighten representative will share a customised ICFEn breakdown.
nLighten ICFEn Performance by Market
(Q1-Q3 - 2025)
We’re proud to report our ICFEn performance across key European markets:
Germany
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ICFEn: the Full Picture of Sustainability
Integrated Carbon-Free Energy (ICFEn) expands on CFE by including:
- Carbon-free electricity use
- Carbon-free electricity generation
- Heat recovery and sector coupling
This gives a complete view of a data center’s energy sustainability impact, not just what it consumes, but what it contributes.
ICFEn
cCFEl
pCFH
Why nLighten?
Comprehensive
Sustainability:
Measures both electricity and heat recovery to reflect the full climate impact of each data center.
Future-Proof
Compliance:
Supports EU taxonomy and circular economy goals.
Validated
Performance:
Partner-Aligned:
Supports the carbon goals of your business and your customers.
Choose a data center partner who thinks beyond electricity.
Choose nLighten.
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