Digital Lakeside
Data Center in Chicago, IL · 350 E Cermak · 60616
At a glance
Digital Lakeside is a 1,279,228-square-foot data center at 350 E Cermak in Chicago, Illinois, built in 1912. In its 2022 Chicago benchmarking disclosure it reported an ENERGY STAR score of 1 out of 100 (grade D) and a site energy-use intensity of 1296.4 kBtu/ft². That score is higher than 0% of the 6 scored data center buildings in Chicago.
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance · reporting year 2022
Benchmarking record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR score | 1 (band D) |
| Site EUI | 1296.4 kBtu/ft² |
| Source EUI | 2887.6 kBtu/ft² |
| GHG emissions | — |
| GHG intensity | — |
| Electricity | 326,615,411 kWh |
| Natural gas | 0 therms |
| Gross floor area | 1,279,228 sq ft |
| Source record | chicago:101185:2022 |
The disclosure history
Year over year
| Year | Score | Δ | Site EUI | GHG emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022latest | 1 | ±0 | 1296.4 kBtu/ft² | — |
| 2021 | 1 | ±0 | 1180.9 kBtu/ft² | — |
| 2020 | 1 | ±0 | 1110.3 kBtu/ft² | 173,706 tCO₂e |
| 2019 | 1 | 1122.6 kBtu/ft² | 185,162 tCO₂e |
Compliance context
Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
Ownership
No owning organisation shown. Names of private individuals in the disclosure are not published here.
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Location
- Address
- 350 E Cermak
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- ZIP
- 60616
- Coordinates
- 41.85312, -87.61862
Within ~1 km
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See also: most efficient in Chicago · biggest emitters
How does Digital Lakeside compare with other data center buildings in Chicago?
The latest disclosures cover 7 data center buildings in Chicago, out of 3,852 buildings citywide. Digital Lakeside's ENERGY STAR score of 1 compares with an average of 59 across the 6 that report a score; it scores higher than 0% of them and lower than 67%. Its site EUI of 1296.4 kBtu/ft² is about twice the average of 651.1 kBtu/ft² — it uses more energy per square foot than the typical building in that group.
At 1,279,228 sq ft, it is about 243% above the average floor area of 372,428 sq ft for those buildings. It was built in 1912, 30 years earlier than the group's average year built (1942). Across all 24 jurisdictions BuildingCensus covers, the 267 data center buildings average an ENERGY STAR score of 68 and a site EUI of 504.4 kBtu/ft².
How has Digital Lakeside's energy performance changed over time?
BuildingCensus holds 4 Chicago disclosures for Digital Lakeside, covering report years 2019–2022. Its ENERGY STAR score was 1 in both 2019 and 2022.
What does an ENERGY STAR score of 1 mean?
ENERGY STAR scores run from 1 to 100 and are computed by the EPA's Portfolio Manager as a percentile against similar buildings nationwide, adjusted for climate, size and use: 1 is the bottom of the scale. BuildingCensus bands the score into report-card grades; 1 falls in band D — lowest band (1–54). It sits 74 points below 75, the threshold for ENERGY STAR certification. In Chicago, 35% of scored buildings are at 75 or above.
Site energy-use intensity (EUI) is the energy a building uses on site in a year divided by its floor area, in thousand Btu per square foot — lower is more efficient. Digital Lakeside's 1296.4 kBtu/ft² across 1,279,228 sq ft works out to about 1,658.4 billion Btu (486,027 MWh-equivalent) in 2022. Its source EUI of 2887.6 kBtu/ft² also counts the energy lost generating and delivering that power, which is why it is higher. The disclosure also reports 326,615,411 kWh of electricity and 0 therms of natural gas for the year.
Which law requires Digital Lakeside to report its energy use?
Digital Lakeside reports under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance, the legal basis of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, which publishes each covered building's annual benchmarking results. The record shown here is the report-year 2022 disclosure (source record chicago:101185:2022). Covered buildings that fail to benchmark and report face fines of up to $100 plus $25 per day of violation under the ordinance.
More data center buildings in Chicago
- CHI1 - Chicago DC1· 474,979 sq ft · score 75 (B)
- Digital Printer's Row· 342,883 sq ft · score 1 (D)
- CH2· 180,000 sq ft · score 98 (A)
- CH1· 160,000 sq ft · score 90 (A)
- 601 West Polk· 104,000 sq ft · score 88 (A)
- 1547 CSR-Chicago Wells, LLC· 65,904 sq ft · EUI 177.1 kBtu/ft²
- All Chicago benchmarked buildings· Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance
- Most efficient large buildings in Chicago
- Least efficient large buildings in Chicago
- Biggest emitters in Chicago
Frequently asked questions
What is Digital Lakeside's energy grade?
Digital Lakeside scores 1 out of 100 on ENERGY STAR — band D, lowest band (1–54) — in its 2022 Chicago disclosure. Scores are national percentiles against similar buildings; 75+ qualifies for ENERGY STAR certification.
How much energy does Digital Lakeside use?
Its 2022 site energy-use intensity was 1296.4 kBtu/ft² (2887.6 kBtu/ft² source) across 1,279,228 sq ft, including 326,615,411 kWh of electricity and 0 therms of natural gas.
What are Digital Lakeside's carbon emissions?
No greenhouse-gas emissions figure was reported for 2022.
Where is Digital Lakeside?
Digital Lakeside is at 350 E Cermak, in Chicago, Illinois 60616. Its coordinates are 41.85312, -87.61862 (latitude, longitude), as published in the Chicago Energy Benchmarking file.
How big is Digital Lakeside and when was it built?
Digital Lakeside has 1,279,228 sq ft of gross floor area, as reported in its 2022 disclosure. The disclosure lists 1912 as its year built. It is classed as data center.
Is Digital Lakeside covered by the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance?
Yes — it appears in the 2022 Chicago Energy Benchmarking disclosure, which lists the buildings reporting under the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance.
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About this data
Source: Chicago Energy Benchmarking (Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance), as published October 2, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “Digital Lakeside, Chicago, Illinois — 2022 benchmarking disclosure”, https://buildingcensus.com/buildings/chicago/digital-lakeside-408902ff (data as of October 2, 2026).