Investigating the Flexibility of Data Centres for the Research Infrastructures of Tomorrow

Computing forms a fundamental pillar of modern research. Efforts to minimise correlated CO2 emissions of research infrastructures therefore need to include plans for sustainable computing models, and research into novel operations of data centres need to be conducted. The team on the Horizon EU RF2.0 project at DESY investigated how their data centre operates and tested a variety of operational policies to manage the environmental impact of a data centre within the larger DESY ecosystem. Some of the discussed saving schemes were trialled during an energy saving program at the data centre during the summer of 2025 where an estimated 3500 kWh of energy was saved. The culmination of DESY’s involvement in the RF2.0 project is the building of POCCET (Proof Of Concept Cluster for Emissions Tracking); a demonstrator showcasing a future of computing centres where computing policies are autonomously implemented, in possible response to external stimuli like grid cleanliness, or price fluctuations.