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Grid Responsive Data Centers

The Performance and Energy Aware Computing Lab (PeaceLab) at Boston University leverages BU’s shared computing cluster for its large-scale simulations and data-driven modeling to optimize energy use in real time.

Ayse Coskun develops intelligent software systems that allow data centers to dynamically adjust workloads, helping stabilize the grid during peak demand. Her use of shared computational resources exemplifies how collaborative infrastructure can drive impactful research in sustainable computing and smart energy systems. 

As AI and cloud computing expand rapidly, data centers are projected to consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity by 2030, posing serious challenges to grid stability. Boston University researcher Ayse Coskun, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Center for Information & Systems Engineering (CISE), is leading efforts to transform data centers into grid-responsive assets. Her research leverages high-performance computing and intelligent systems engineering to develop software that dynamically adjusts data center workloads in response to grid signals. This approach enables data centers to act as “AI Virtual Power Plants,” reducing strain on the grid while maintaining performance. Coskun’s work, now extended through her role as Chief Scientist at Emerald AI, exemplifies how supercomputing and systems engineering can drive sustainable innovation in energy management. 

Ayse Coskun
Ayse Coskun is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University and Director of the Center for Information and Systems Engineering. Her research focuses on energy-efficient and high-performance computing, with a particular emphasis on making data centers more responsive to power grid demands.

Research projects

A Future of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Yale Budget Lab
Volcanic Eruptions Impact on Stratospheric Chemistry & Ozone
Towards a Whole Brain Cellular Atlas
Tornado Path Detection
The Kempner Institute - Unlocking Intelligence
The Institute for Experiential AI
Taming the Energy Appetite of AI Models
Surface Behavior
Studying Highly Efficient Biological Solar Energy Systems
Software for Unreliable Quantum Computers
Simulating Large Biomolecular Assemblies
SEQer - Sequence Evaluation in Realtime
Revolutionizing Materials Design with Computational Modeling
Remote Sensing of Earth Systems
Quantum Computing in Renewable Energy Development
Pulling Back the Quantum Curtain on ‘Weyl Fermions’
New Insights on Binary Black Holes
NeuraChip
Network Attached FPGAs in the OCT
Monte Carlo eXtreme (MCX) - a Physically-Accurate Photon Simulator
Modeling Hydrogels and Elastomers
Modeling Breast Cancer Spread
Investigating Mantle Flow Through Analyses of Earthquake Wave Propagation
Impact of Marine Heatwaves on Coral Diversity
IceCube: Hunting Neutrinos
Genome Forecasting
Global Consequences of Warming-Induced Arctic River Changes
Exact Gravitational Lensing by Rotating Black Holes
Evolution of Viral Infectious Disease
Evaluating Health Benefits of Stricter US Air Quality Standards
Ephemeral Stream Water Contributions to US Drainage Networks
Energy Transport and Ultrafast Spectroscopy Lab
Electron Heating in Kinetic-Alfvén-Wave Turbulence
Discovering Evolution’s Master Switches
Dexterous Robotic Hands
Developing Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Energy Future
Detecting Protein Concentrations in Assays
Denser Environments Cultivate Larger Galaxies
Deciphering Alzheimer's Disease
Dancing Frog Genomes
Cyber-Physical Communication Network Security
Avoiding Smash Hits
Analyzing the Gut Microbiome
Adaptive Deep Learning Systems Towards Edge Intelligence
Accelerating Rendering Power
ACAS X: A Family of Next-Generation Collision Avoidance Systems
Neurocognition at the Wu Tsai Institute, Yale
Computational Modeling of Biological Systems
Computational Molecular Ecology
Social Capital and Economic Mobility
Building for Floods
Better Pathogen Targeting
Tracking Environmental Health Risks
AI for Cancer Diagnosis
Microplastic-Free by Design
Supporting Data-intensive Social Science
Sailing the Symbiosis Seascape
Wrangle Range Modeling
Shining a Light on Dark Matter
Grid Responsive Data Centers
Multifunctional 3D-Printed Materials
AI Pareidolia
Computing Hidden Health Threats from Heat
Staving off the Banana Apocalypse
CRISPR Mice, Smarter Science
Naval and Ocean Renewable Energy Hydrodynamics
AI That Speaks Human About Health
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Collaborative projects

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Outreach & Education Projects

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