System and method for a data center to provide energy elasticity services at different time scales

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code that identifies a plurality of possibilities at the disposal of a data center for changing its energy demand in its role as a consumer of energy, wherein the plurality of possibilities correspond to energy flexibility characteristics of the data center, wherein the energy flexibility characteristics comprise workload scheduling and data center component parameter configuration;
• each of the possibilities being associated with:
• a time interval during which change in energy consumption of the data center is to take place;
• and
• an amount of energy to be drawn, during the time interval, by the data center from an electric provider through a connection to a power grid;
• wherein the plurality of possibilities are different from each other;
• computer readable program code that proactively determines, based on the identified plurality of possibilities, one or more energy elasticity ranges of the data center for a predetermined time period corresponding to the ability of the data center to change the amount of energy drawn by the data center from the energy provider, wherein each of the energy elasticity ranges identifies a lower energy consumption value for the data center and a higher energy consumption value for the data center in relation to the current energy demand of the data center and a response time required for reaching an energy consumption value within the energy elasticity range;
• computer readable program code that advertises, to a remote device that is in direct communication with an energy supplier, data indicating the ability of the data center to change its energy consumption, wherein the advertising comprises providing an identification of an energy elasticity range of the data center for a predetermined time period based on the determined one or more energy elasticity ranges to the energy supplier;
• and
• computer readable program code that operates, in response to receiving a selection of an energy elasticity range by the remote device responsive to the advertising, the data center to change its energy consumption to fulfill the at least one request for energy.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code being executable by a processor and comprising:
• computer readable program code that identifies a plurality of possibilities at the disposal of a data center for changing its energy demand in its role as a consumer of energy, wherein the plurality of possibilities correspond to energy flexibility characteristics of the data center, wherein the energy flexibility characteristics comprise workload scheduling and data center component parameter configuration;
• each of the possibilities being associated with:
• a time interval during which change in energy consumption of the data center is to take place;
• and
• an amount of energy to be drawn, during the time interval, by the data center from an electric provider through a connection to a power grid;
• wherein the plurality of possibilities are different from each other;
• computer readable program code that proactively determines, based on the identified plurality of possibilities, one or more energy elasticity ranges of the data center for a predetermined time period corresponding to the ability of the data center to change the amount of energy drawn by the data center from the energy provider, wherein each of the energy elasticity ranges identifies a lower energy consumption value for the data center and a higher energy consumption value for the data center in relation to the current energy demand of the data center and a response time required for reaching an energy consumption value within the energy elasticity range;
• computer readable program code that advertises, to a remote device that is in direct communication with an energy supplier, data indicating the ability of the data center to change its energy consumption, wherein the advertising comprises providing an identification of an energy elasticity range of the data center for a predetermined time period based on the determined one or more energy elasticity ranges to the energy supplier;
• and
• computer readable program code that operates, in response to receiving a selection of an energy elasticity range by the remote device responsive to the advertising, the data center to change its energy consumption to fulfill the at least one request for energy.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at an energy supplier and from an electricity requester other than a data center, at least one request for energy;
• determining an ability of the data center to change energy consumption, based on one or more energy usage characteristics of the data center, to fulfil the at least one request for energy, wherein the energy usage characteristics comprise workload scheduling and data center component parameter configuration;
• identifying a plurality of time periods during which the data center can increase energy consumption or decrease energy consumption to fulfill different energy service requests based at least in part on the one or more energy usage characteristics of the data center, wherein the identifying comprises determining one or more energy elasticity ranges of the data center for each of the plurality of time periods, wherein each of the energy elasticity ranges identifies a lower energy consumption value for the data center and a higher energy consumption value for the data center in relation to the current energy demand of the data center and a response time required for reaching an energy consumption value within the energy elasticity range;
• determining, based upon the determined one or more energy elasticity ranges during at least one of the plurality of time periods, that the data center can change its energy consumption from the energy supplier, thereby allowing the energy supplier to fulfill the at least one request for energy;
• and
• operating the data center to change its energy consumption to fulfill the at least one request for energy.