Minimization CO2 footprint by intelligent control of flexible electricity consumption

Scheduling flexible electricity consumption is an important tool for reducing CO2 emissions of electricity consumption and integrating increasing amounts of renewable energy into the electricity system. The result of this ELFORSK project provides a better understanding of the potential savings of carbon emissions and economic benefits associated with scheduling of flexible electricity consumption. 

In this project, we have developed two advanced forecasting models for CO2 intensity of electricity consumption, as a tool to schedule flexible electricity consumption. In the project, we optimize the operation of our own servers, by moving server 'jobs' to times when the power is greenest. In our analysis we show that the savings potential depends on the flexibility and duration of the consumption.

For a weekly job, with a two day flexibility and a duration of six hours, a 23 % CO2 saving is seen, compared to consuming the electricity at a random time. Our analysis also shows that it is advantageous to optimize for both the CO2 emission and the spot price of electricity. It is possible to weight the two parameters according to the desired effect. 

Based on our 8-day forecast for carbon intensity, we have developed a web API for scheduling flexible electricity consumption. This API allows the user to take advantage of our forecast and plan any kind of flexible electricity consumption - the result is thus not just for optimizing server operation. The API is fully functional and is currently used internally in Ento Labs. The API is also available to interested parties seeking increased renewable energy integration, or optimal scheduling of consumption based on price or CO2 emissions. 

Hourly electricity tariffs or CO2 taxes on electricity increase the business potential of intelligent scheduling of flexible consumption. This is especially important for private consumers in Denmark, where taxes and fees make up about two-thirds of the electricity price. In line with increased electrification of the transport and heating sector, intelligent control of this type of consumption will likely become a mature business area. 

The transition to 100 % renewable electricity in the interconnected European grid requires a combination of transmission expansion, different energy storage technologies and flexibility. This demonstration project has shown how to utilize the flexibility of electricity consumption in Denmark automatically, with minimal capital costs for the end user if the resource can be integrated via API. The Ento Labs platform already covers the European electricity markets. 

The demonstration project is a collaboration with Incuba A/S and Ejerforeningen Navitas A/S. The strength is to understand the end-user's electricity consumption and thus the potential of activating flexible resources with each consumer. In the long term, this scalable method can also be used from a systems perspective when the European market has to integrate a larger share of renewable energy.