Integrating Energy-Efficient Computing With Computational Research to Accelerate Energy Technology

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) computational sciences center hosts the largest high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities dedicated to energy research while functioning as a living laboratory for energy-efficient computing. NREL’s HPC capabilities support the research needs of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In 10 years of operation, HPC use in EERE-sponsored research has grown by a factor of 30, including work in electricity generation, energy efficiency, transportation, and energy system modeling. This article analyzes this research portfolio, providing examples of individual use cases. The article documents NREL’s history of operating one of the world’s most energy-efficient data centers while examining pathways to reduce economic and environmental impact beyond reduction of power usage efficiency (PUE). This article concludes by examining the unique opportunities created for accelerating improvements in data center efficiency created by combining an HPC system dedicated to energy research and a research program in energy-efficient computing.