数据中心绿电困局，直连难、储能贵，破局路在何方？

Core Insights - The rapid rise of large models like ChatGPT has led to a significant increase in electricity costs for data centers, which are now approaching the cost of server procurement [1] - China's data center electricity consumption is projected to reach 166 billion kilowatt-hours in 2024, equivalent to the annual output of approximately 1.3 Three Gorges Dam [1] - By 2030, electricity consumption by data centers may account for 3% of the total electricity usage in society, causing localized power shortages in regions like the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau [3] Group 1 - The shift from traditional CPU-based servers to GPU clusters for AI training has increased electricity costs to 30% of operational expenses, compared to 5%-15% previously [5] - A 100P computing power data center can incur electricity costs equivalent to purchasing two apartments in Beijing's Fourth Ring Road annually [5] - The coordination issues with the power grid have led to incidents where data centers had to switch to backup power sources, incurring significant costs [5] Group 2 - The "East Data West Computing" policy aims to alleviate the pressure on electricity costs by utilizing lower electricity prices in western regions [7] - Regions like Inner Mongolia and Ningxia have become attractive for data centers due to electricity prices as low as 0.3-0.4 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which is half the price in eastern regions [8] - However, the instability of renewable energy sources in the west can lead to higher overall electricity costs for data centers [10] Group 3 - Companies are exploring self-generated green electricity, but limitations in rooftop space for solar panels have resulted in only a fraction of their electricity needs being met [12] - Current regulations prevent direct electricity sales from neighboring wind farms, leading to increased costs due to intermediary losses and scheduling fees [15] - Energy storage solutions, such as lithium batteries, have limitations in duration, while alternatives like flow batteries are significantly more expensive [16] Group 4 - New technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells and small modular reactors (SMRs), are being explored to provide sustainable power to data centers, with potential costs as low as 0.35 yuan per kilowatt-hour [18][20] - The GHG Protocol's upcoming "hourly green electricity matching" standard will require real-time matching of green electricity usage, necessitating integrated renewable energy systems near data centers [20] - Companies are currently balancing policy benefits, technological investments, and cost control, as uninterrupted server operation is critical [24]