As the data center industry seeks to balance innovation with responsibility, Rehlko is at the forefront of the sustainability journey for mission critical backup power. As a shining example of Rehlko’s commitment to climate progress, Sustainability Project Engineer Louis Liu has been recognized for his valuable work in driving sustainable design, emissions reduction, and corporate culture.
In the past, Liu’s accolades have included being named Green Builder of the Year, In Business 40 Under 40, and the Live Forward Award. Now, he can add another important award to his mantle as he was named the iMasons Sustainability Champion for 2024. Sponsored by Microsoft and selected by the iMasons Sustainability Committee, the award “recognizes individuals who are moving the needle globally on digital infrastructure sustainability through measurable results”. Liu was also named to the iMasons iM100 for 2024, an award to “honor 100 people who drive meaningful progress across the industry”
A Vision for Sustainability
Liu spearheads the Rehlko (formerly Kohler Energy) Design for Environment (DfE) program for data center backup power, a cornerstone initiative aimed at embedding sustainability into the company’s new product development process. This program focuses on reducing the lifecycle carbon footprint of backup power solutions — essential for all data centers — by integrating eco-conscious strategies during the product design phase. Under Liu’s leadership, the DfE program has expanded its reach from North America to global engineering teams in France, China, and Singapore. Today, over 80% of North American and 50% of global engineering projects now implement DfE principles, resulting in many important material reductions and optimized designs.
Beyond product design, Liu has led key efforts to better measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at Rehlko. He developed an internal Scope 3 emissions dashboard to estimate the indirect emissions from backup generator use, and helped Rehlko paint a clearer picture of its Scope 3 impacts. Today, the carbon accounting method and dashboard Liu helped develop serve as vital tools for Rehlko’s sustainability reporting and compliance, especially under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Building a Culture of Sustainability
Liu’s impact isn’t confined to technical advancements. As an organizer and educator, he leads Rehlko’s Sustainability Committee and founded its Sustainability Task Force in the Power Systems department. These groups have grown from a small core to over 70 members, fostering collaboration across departments and building a robust governance framework for sustainability initiatives. These efforts ensure that employees across the organization are engaged in the company’s environmental mission.
In addition, a company-wide Earth Month Ecochallenge Liu helped organize last year exemplifies his ability to inspire action. With participants from 21 U.S. states and 14 countries, the campaign achieved tangible results, including saving over 9,000 gallons of water, preventing 3,200 pounds of CO₂ emissions, and planting 220 trees. Initiatives like these highlight Liu’s demonstration of sustainability as both an individual and collective action, an idea that carries important ramifications in the industry at large.
Making A Data Center Difference
Under Liu’s time as Sustainability Project Engineer, Rehlko has made many meaningful contributions to projects such as approved HVO usage, hydrogen fuel cell advancements, the Conscious Care program, Rehlko’s market-first Environmental Product Declaration for mission-critical generating sets, and more. All of these projects either involved Liu directly or integrated members of the Sustainability Committee and Sustainability Task Force he leads.
Through his groundbreaking initiatives, Liu has positioned himself as a critical player in the mission to create more environmentally responsible power solutions for data centers worldwide. And, just as Liu is transforming the way Rehlko approaches sustainability, Rehlko is transforming the way the broader data center industry does it too. All across the company, Rehlko team members are combining technical expertise with a commitment to education and collaboration, laying a foundation for lasting environmental impact.
To learn more about Rehlko’s data center sustainability initiatives click here. Or, to read about Liu’s case study on embodied carbon calculation as part of the iMasons Climate Accord’s equipment working group, click here.