A sustainable development pattern integrating data centers and pasture-based agrivoltaic systems for ecologically fragile areas
2023
Zhang, Jiaming | Wang, Tao | Chang, Yuan | Liu, Bingsheng
Advances in information technology facilitate the construction of data centers (DCs), bringing huge social and economic benefits. However, the rapid development of DCs poses a heavy burden on the environment. To promote economic growth while mitigating environmental impacts, this paper proposes a sustainable development pattern that incorporates DCs and pasture-based photovoltaic (PPV) power stations in cities with rich solar energy but fragile ecological environments. An integrated method framework is applied to show the feasibility and potential of the DC-PPV model. A power generation model based on the DC electricity demand and local climate is established to calculate the installation capacity and pasture area of PPV stations, and a cost-benefit analysis is conducted to find the feasible conditions of the DC-PPV model from financial, technical and environmental perspectives. Then, the environmental potential of the DC-PPV is reflected by the GHG emission reduction from three paths, and the socioeconomic contribution is assessed using input-output (IO) analysis. The results show that the model can facilitate the local economy and effectively reduce carbon emissions. Under the planning DC scale in the study area, the model reduces GHG emissions by more than 3 million tons per year. Moreover, it converts more than 1140 hectares of Gobi land to grassland, which increases the carbon stock by 150,262 tCO₂e and saves 39 million yuan of desert management.
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