Data Centers Leveraging Spatiotemporal Flexibility For Coordinated Optimization With Power Systems: A Comprehensive Review

In the energy Internet context, exploring data center operational flexibility is crucial for integrating data and energy networks and enhancing system flexibility. This paper systematically analyzes the potential and significance of collaborative optimization between data centers and power systems by summarizing domestic and international research achievements. First, combined with actual operation conditions, it discusses data center architecture and the basic characteristics, scheduling properties, and spatiotemporal flexibility of two workload types. Second, it reviews data center energy consumption models from the dimensions of modeling methods and application scenarios. Third, it analyzes the flexibility potential of data center power loads in temporal and spatial dimensions. Fourth, it reviews coordinated optimization research in dispatch operation, annual planning, market policies, and market participation. Finally, it discusses prospective challenges in this field.