Identifying Constraints Regarding Power Usage Effectiveness for Data Centers Engaging in Demand Response Programs

Abstract

Demand response (DR) is an important ingredient and regarded as the killer application of the emerging smart grid. The continuously growing energy consumption of data centers makes data centers promising candidates with significant potential for DR. Participating in DR programs makes data centers have another finical resource in addition to service income. On the other hand, some government organizations also offer considerable incentives to promote energy saving actions for facilities with some certain certifications. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system developed by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is one of the most popular certification systems. LEED uses Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) as one of the metrics for quantifying how energy efficient a data center is. The goal of PUE is to improve energy efficiency of a data center. DR programs require participants to temporarily reduce their power demand on some occasions with little concern regarding energy efficiency. To enjoy incentives from LEED certification, data center administrators need to know whether the participation of DR hampers the established PUE of their facilities or not. This paper examines the power consumption models from prior studies, and identifies the constraints introduced by PUE for data centers participating in DR programs. The examination reveals that the ratios of static power consumption to the dynamic power demand range of different types of data center equipment do affect PUE while taking demand reduction efforts. With this finding, facility managers of data centers have a clear picture of what to expect from the DR participation, and what to adjust of their data center equipment.