Carbon Free Data Centers Through Solar Photovoltaic Generation, Battery Energy Storage, and Medium Voltage DC Power Distribution

Abstract

Utilities, grid operators, corporates, and other stakeholders are tasked with meeting carbon emission reduction mandates at a time of rising electricity demand. Data centers are a significant driver of load growth, as they are expected to triple as a share of U.S. electricity consumption to 7.5% by 2030. Advances in direct current (DC) circuit breakers and converters enable a medium voltage direct current (MVDC) data center architecture that can take advantage of efficiency gains from DC solar-photovoltaic generation and battery storage. This study quantifies the primary benefits of co-locating these technologies, incorporating efficiency gains along with capital cost savings of MVDC power distribution relative to conventional low voltage alternating current (LVAC) systems. By quantifying these system benefits, this study highlights a cost-efficient path to meet growing data center load, particularly for data centers attempting to demonstrate 24x7 clean energy use.