Energies, Vol. 13, Pages 448: Configuration Optimization Model for Data-Center-Park-Integrated Energy Systems Under Economic, Reliability, and Environmental Considerations (Energies)

The analysis of energy configuration in the planning of data-center-park-integrated energy systems (DCP-IESs) has become an enormous challenge, owing to multi-energy complementarity, energy cascade use, and energy security. In this study, a configuration model of DCP-IESs was established to obtain the economic and low-carbon energy uses of the data centers, based on mixed integer linear programming. In the model, carbon emissions were converted to economic indicators through carbon pricing. Then, the configuration model was modified according to the security of the proposed device switching logic, and the Markov-based reliability estimation method was used to ensure the redundant design of the configuration. Using the new energy configuration method, the DCP-IES configuration scheme could be obtained under economical, low-carbon, and high reliability conditions. A data center park in Shanghai was selected as a case study, and the results are as follows: it will only take 2.88 years for the economics of DCP-IES to reach those of traditional data center energy systems. Additionally, the use of configuration model in DCP-IES would result in a reduction in annual carbon emissions of 39,323 tons, with a power usage effectiveness of 1.388, whereas an increase in reliability results in an increasingly faster increase in the initial investment cost.