Stabilizing the Electricity Grid - Data Centers as a Source for Energy Flexibility

SDIA on Digital Sustainability

Jun 29 2020 • 38 mins

Can we use data centers to stabilize the electric grid?

In today's episode our host Mohan Gandhi welcomes Philippe Vassilopoulos, Director of Product Development at EPEX SPOT.

The European Power Exchange EPEX SPOT SE and its affiliates operate physical short-term electricity markets in Central Western Europe, the United Kingdom and in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Over 300 members trade electricity across twelve countries on EPEX SPOT.

Together Mo and Philippe are investigating the opportunity to source energy flexibility from data centers. By doing this they aim to integrate data centers deeper into the electricity grid. Their approach promises to have many positive effects including more stability in the grid, less costs in grid reenforcement, drive down costs for electricity overall, integrate more renewables and thereby drive down CO2 emissions.

Want to know more? Download the Executive Summary of the SDIA Report "The Utility of the Future" here:

Chapters:

[00:05] Intro

[02:05] Data Centers and their bigger role in die energy flexibility markt

[06:46] Next Steps for data centers to enter flexibility markets

[14:25] Grid Congestions. How to solve them, where do they take place and how can data centers help?

[24:22] Data Centers as provider for energy flexibility

[26:01 ] Reducing CO2 emission by moving compute loads

[27:33] Using data centers to integrate more renewables into our system

[25:53] Closing Word from Philippe