Multi-market optimization of a data center without storage systems

Abstract

Data centers have numerous opportunities to participate in demand response programs considering their large capacities, flexible working environments and work loads, redundant design and operation, etc. Frequency regulation, as one service provided in demand response programs, can also benefits the data centers. This paper aims to develop a real-time multi-market optimization framework for a data center without storage systems to maximize their benefits from participating in both the energy market and the regulation market. Then a case study is conducted to numerically investigate the optimal bids at each hour by considering the energy cost, demand costs, and regulation revenues using a virtual data center located in PJM. Simulation results show that the proposed multi-market optimization framework can help data centers maintain minimum costs by getting maximum regulation revenues while satisfying energy and demand goals.

Multi-stage Power Scheduling Framework for Data Center with Chilled Water Storage in Energy and Regulation Markets

“…The storage charging rate setpoint is then computed and constrained by Eq. (10) and Eq. ( 11), respectively.…”

“…After obtaining u c,set , the charging rate of the storage u s,set is then determined by Eq. (10). When u c,set is greater than the predicted cooling load q, then the storage charges at a rate of u s,set .…”

“…The capacity bids can vary from a minimum of 242 kW (9% of system nominal power) at hour 2 to a maximum of 378 kW (14% of system nominal power) at hour 34 as shown in Figure 9. The reason is that with storage installed, the system can bid its maximum FR capacity into the market most time, while the system without storage can only bid a capacity between 0 and the maximum to balance the FR revenues and the potential increase of energy and, especially, demand costs [10]. charged to its maximum SoC (i.e., 0.95) in BL, but it is only charged to about 0.87 in OPBL.…”

“…These positive sums would lead to additional demand costs when imposed on the peak [10]. The additional demand costs might even be larger than the FR revenues, which compromises the final benefits of providing demand response.…”