Systems for energy supply into data centres with reduction of fossil fuels

摘要

The more and more use of information technology (IT) services causes an increasing energy demand of data centres. Efforts on the part of information technology components cannot attenuate this development significantly. In order to achieve the energetic and environmental goals, the scope of the measures should be substantially extended. This article deals with the reduction of fossil fuels by using of renewable energy sources in combination with efficiency enhancing measures. The challenge is the complex combination of the technical infrastructure of a data centre with the energy supply systems. Therefore, in the RenewIT project thermal and electrical supply systems were developed and simulated with TRNSYS. The various parameters were selected randomly. Analytical relationships have been implemented for the system design. This approach allows taking into account the influence of the location in Europe, the national circumstances, the data centre size etc. The extensive results are presented in a highly condensed form using key performance indicators. These provide fundamental information on the effect and usefulness of a concept. Various concepts with renewable energy, the use of thermal and electrical storages and cogeneration with biogenic energy sources are promising for replacing non-renewable primary energy consumption. Promising solutions are presented for different boundary conditions.