Unveiling Genetic Reinforcement Learning (GRLA) and Hybrid Attention-Enhanced Gated Recurrent Unit with Random Forest (HAGRU-RF) for Energy-Efficient Containerized Data Centers Empowered by Solar Energy and AI

Abstract

The adoption of renewable energy sources has seen a significant rise in recent years across various industrial sectors, with solar energy standing out due to its eco-friendly characteristics. This shift from conventional fossil fuels to solar power is particularly noteworthy in energy-intensive environments such as cloud data centers. These centers, which operate continuously to support active servers via virtual instances, present a critical opportunity for the integration of sustainable energy solutions. In this study, we introduce two innovative approaches that substantially advance data center energy management. Firstly, we introduce the Genetic Reinforcement Learning Algorithm (GRLA) for energy-efficient container placement, representing a pioneering approach in data center management. Secondly, we propose the Hybrid Attention-enhanced GRU with Random Forest (HAGRU-RF) model for accurate solar energy prediction. This model combines GRU neural networks with Random Forest algorithms to forecast solar energy production reliably. Our primary focus is to evaluate the feasibility of solar energy in meeting the energy demands of cloud data centers that utilize containerization for virtualization, thereby promoting green cloud computing. Leveraging a robust German photovoltaic energy dataset, our study demonstrates the effectiveness and adaptability of these techniques across diverse environmental contexts. Furthermore, comparative analysis against traditional methods highlights the superior performance of our models, affirming the potential of solar-powered data centers as a sustainable and environmentally responsible solution.