CSR: Small:Collaborative Research: Data Center Demand Response: Coordinating the Cloud and the Smart Grid

数据中心已经成为电力的重要消费者和温室气体排放的重要来源，因此对节能计算的关注已经出现。到目前为止，提高数据中心可持续性的最常见方法是“本地”。其一，例如安装屋顶光伏板。这个项目采取了一种不同的、更“全球化”的方式。方法：它允许数据中心为提高整个电网的可持续性做出贡献，以满足数据中心作为主要能源消费者的社会责任。有趣的是，参与这种全球可持续发展的努力将反过来为数据中心提供获得经济利益的新机会。该项目将通过需求响应等项目协调数据中心与智能电网，这使得公用事业公司能够根据需要向消费者发出信号，以减少或增加消耗，以稳定电网并解决可再生能源的不可预测性。将为数据中心开发新的资源管理算法，以促进其参与需求响应和其他电力市场计划；通过这种参与，数据中心为智能电网提供的响应能力将被量化和优化。这个建议是真正的跨学科的，因为它不仅需要对数据中心和云计算有深刻的理解，也需要对电力市场和智能电网有深刻的理解。特别是，研究结果将有助于数据中心选择参与哪些电力市场计划以及如何参与这些计划。此外，该项目将帮助公用事业公司设计电力市场计划，鼓励最大限度地提高数据中心的响应能力，以更好地运营电网并降低电价。

Data centers have become both significant consumers of electricity and substantial sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and so a focus on energy-efficient computing has emerged. Until now, the most common approach for improving sustainability of data centers is a ?local? one, e.g., installing rooftop PV panels. This project takes a different, more ?global? approach: it allows data centers to contribute towards improving the sustainability of the electricity grid as a whole, in order to meet data centers' social responsibility as major energy consumers. Interestingly, engaging in such global sustainability efforts will, in turn, provide data centers with new opportunities to gain financial benefits.This project will coordinate data centers with the smart grid through programs such as demand response, which allow the utilities to signal consumers to reduce or increase consumption as needed in order to stabilize the grid and tackle the unpredictability of the renewable energy resources. New resource management algorithms for data centers will be developed to facilitate their participation in demand response and other electricity market programs; and the responsiveness that data centers can provide the smart grid through such participation will be quantified and optimized.This proposal is truly interdisciplinary as it requires a deep understanding not only about data centers and cloud computing but also about electricity markets and the smart grid. In particular, the results will help data centers in terms of both their choice of which electricity market programs to participate in and how to participate in such programs. Additionally, this project will help utility companies in the design of electricity market programs that encourage maximum data center responsiveness to better operate the grid and to reduce the price of electricity.