Distribution grid electrical performance and emission analysis of combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP)-photovoltaic (PV)-based data center and residential customers

As the number of data centers is increasing worldwide, there are concerns about their growing electricity demand on power grids and its impact on the environment. These concerns can be mitigated at the urban scale by utilizing the waste heat generated by data centers and multi-energy hub integration. Using Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) and Photovoltaic (PV) systems within a data center, in combination with district energy network connections, can create energy interactions with residential customers in a multi-energy hub. However, connecting large energy consumers and distributed energy systems to the electrical distribution grid presents challenges due to the conventional design of the power grid with unidirectional electricity flow. There is a lack of understanding about the grid impact of data centers with multi-energy systems regarding electrical performance parameters, energy demand, and emissions. To address these open issues, we developed an hourly energy interaction model that includes a CCHP-PV-based data center and residential customers. In addition, the CCHP-PV-based data center was operated with a cost-optimized energy scheduling. We conducted six case studies to distinguish the specific effects of CCHP, PV, and district energy network connections. The model takes into account hourly outdoor temperatures, energy prices, and varying energy demands to capture the seasonal impact on electrical performance parameters and energy results. From an energy and environmental perspective, CCHP-PV systems can eliminate the data center's electricity demand from the grid, reduce residential energy demand, and decrease carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This cleaner production and energy exchange further support the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. The experimental results showed a 43% reduction in power loss in the distribution grid and helped the data center's main electrical bus and residential bus against the voltage drop phenomenon. The CCHP-PV-based data center with district heating and cooling connection reduced the peak hour electricity demand on the grid by 39% and annual electricity consumption from the grid by 66%. Furthermore, Greenhouse Gas Protocols (GHG) Scope-2 emissions associated with the data center's grid electricity consumption and only residential electricity consumption were reduced by 77% and 36%, respectively.