Economic opportunities for Demand Response by Data Centers within the new Italian Ancillary Service Market

The exploitation of Demand Response as an effective dispatching resource is strictly linked to the new economic opportunities for consumption units deriving from the participation to the Ancillary Services Market. This study provides evidence of the fact that Data Centers, thanks to backup generation and storage systems present at their sites, can be exploited as flexible consumption units for Demand Response purposes. Results highlight how the remuneration mechanisms foreseen for the market activity, and the sizing and operation of local assets, are of utmost importance in guaranteeing the worth of potential investments made by Data Centers' owners to adapt the consumption sites for the provision of ancillary services.