A new framework for evaluating and enhancing the performance of district heating systems integrated with data centres using short-term thermal energy storage

This paper proposes a new framework to assess and enhance the performance of district heating (DH) systems integrated with data centres (DCs). This framework utilizes six key performance indicators tailored specifically for DH and DC hybrid systems to evaluate energy flexibility, energy efficiency, and operational cost savings. To further enhance system flexibility, a dual short-term thermal energy storage (TES) solution is proposed, enabling peak shaving and load shifting of the hybrid system through price-driven and demand-driven strategies, supported by a hybrid global optimization algorithm. A parametric study is also carried out to investigate the impact of water tank size on system performance across a wide range of energy storage scenarios. A case study of a DH and DC hybrid system in Norway demonstrated the effectiveness of the framework in capturing the performance characteristics of the hybrid system. This study showed that incorporating dual water tanks and the proposed energy management strategies achieved a 2.1 % increase in the load shifting ratio, a 10 % increase in the peak demand reduction ratio, and a 3.2 % decrease in the total operational cost. The parametric analysis revealed that larger TES sizes increased peak shaving capacity and cost reduction, albeit with minimal impact on load shifting capacity.