Techno-economic and reliability assessment of photovoltaic-battery-supported green data centers in Tunisia

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital infrastructure has increased the amount of electricity used by data centers, raising concerns about carbon emissions and operational reliability. This study presents the technological and financial basis for a long-term data center powered by a solar photovoltaic and battery storage system. Energy availability and downtime were assessed using reliability simulations, with capacity shortage and unmet load used as supplementary indicators. The performance of the proposed model has been compared with conventional ideas and assessed utilizing established level reliability standards. The results indicate that incorporating photovoltaic battery systems might maintain high reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide stable and affordable energy costs over time. The study highlights several quantitative indicators confirming the effectiveness of a solar PV-battery strategy for green data centers in Tunisia. By integrating the PV-battery system, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 45% compared to conventional diesel backup. From an economic perspective, the system lowered the Net Present Cost (NPC) by 15–18% and decreased the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) by up to 12% over the project’s lifetime. Reliability was equally impressive, with annual availability surpassing 99.98% and downtime limited to under 1.5 h. From a sustainable development perspective, the proposed PV-battery strategy contributes to cleaner energy use, lower carbon emissions, improved infrastructure resilience, and more sustainable digital service delivery, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Overall, the hybrid approach demonstrates strong sustainability, cost efficiency, and operational resilience. Thus, it is possible to achieve operational durability and reliability without jeopardizing traditional groupings, suggesting a shift in policy toward renewable energy-based safety solutions.