As the demand for digital applications increases, the importance of data centers as critical infrastructure increases as well. However, they are also at the center of a conflict involving rising energy consumption, ambitious climate goals, and increasing demands for supply security and digital sovereignty. This has also brought the resilience of digital infrastructure further into focus. Traditional data centers have largely operated in isolation to date, utilizing only a limited amount of their existing flexibility. Edge data centers offer new opportunities: Due to their decentralized structure and proximity to users, they can enable latency-critical services and contribute to increased resilience through distributed processing and redundancy. Simultaneously, they can be used to stabilize energy systems. Furthermore, integration with district heating networks makes it possible to effectively utilize previously unused waste heat. Thus, the project addresses key challenges at the intersection of digitalization, the energy transition, and the development of resilient infrastructure.

The objective of this project is to systematically investigate the development of smaller data centers into system-supporting edge data centers. The project will take an integrated approach to several functions, including the reliable provision of IT services, support for the power grid through flexible loads and storage, and the use of waste heat for local heating networks. The interaction between these areas is crucial, as they can have both synergies and conflicting objectives. A particular focus lies on the operation of multiple sites within a cluster. Coordinated control and the ability to shift computing loads are intended to improve reliability and energy efficiency. Additionally, we will analyze the economic impacts of this integrated operating mode, particularly with regard to operating costs and the additional revenue potential from energy-related and thermal applications. The goal is to systematically investigate the interactions between IT, power, and heating systems, deriving technically and economically viable operating strategies. These strategies will serve as the basis for concrete pilot applications.

The project analyzes real-world sites in the Oldenburg area to identify typical characteristics and constraints of edge data centers. Based on these findings, various configurations of data centers are examined in a simulation-based environment. Key components, such as IT loads, cooling systems, battery storage, and electrical and thermal interfaces, are modeled. Subsequently, optimization approaches are developed that consider target metrics such as availability, operating costs, grid-supportive operation, and heat provision simultaneously. The approach is then extended to the collaborative optimization of data center clusters, taking into account site-specific requirements such as latency, network connection capacities, and local heat sinks. The result is a simulation-based approach that enables the systematic analysis of the complex interactions between IT, power, and thermal systems, facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of operational options in terms of efficiency and resilience.