One small change for man, a giant nudge for a sustainable world
Adding one key percentage number to EU mandatory reporting standards for data centers will change everything
The OCP Future Technology Symposium is a bi-annual event that showcases the latest advancements in data center technology. As Exergy we presented a paper titled
Quantifying Emission Reduction through Time-Shifting Grid Usage: A Case Study of Renewable Energy Integration in Data Centers
In summary, data centers in Denmark could have reduced their 2022 scope 2 carbon emissions by up to 16%, by installing 4-hour batteries and using the grid “mostly when the sun shines”, i.e. primarily during low carbon intensity periods.
For comparison, Finnish operator Elisa is expanding lithium battery capacity at its mobile base station sites from 3 hours to 9 hours.
The benefits achievable through time-shifting improve as more variable renewable sources are added to the grid. Denmark leads the world in this area: A recent December 2023 IEA report highlights its high share of wind energy (54%), the highest in the world. Together with bioenergy and solar photovoltaic, its total renewables are at 81%. The recent COP28 declaration says countries should aim to deploy three times more renewables by 2030.
24x7 Carbon-Free Energy and time-based certificates
Google is leading the way with its 24x7 Carbon-Free Energy initiative.
The concept of time-based energy attribute certificates (T-EACs) is essential to create actionable steps for companies to become more sustainable. This is an area of active development
The EU call for feedback on data center reporting regulations
The EU is soliciting feedback on draft legislation for data center reporting standards. The current draft specifies common metrics like PUE and the purchasing of Guarantees of Origin (GOOs) and Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs), but nothing about time-based matching.
Proposal
Our proposal is simple: Add the percentage of time-based energy matching as a mandatory reporting parameter.
This would allow the EU to track the current status and ongoing improvements in energy usage aligned with renewables. Because it is not only about the total capacity, it is also about how that capacity is used effectively. Without this data, we are running blind. With this data, there is a basis for informed policies and target setting beyond “x3 by 2030”