Overview
The national standard “Energy Storage System for Computing Centers — Part 1: Selection Guide” (GB/Z 273.1—2026) has been released. Led by State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power and co-drafted by Zhejiang Lab, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Envision, CATL and Huawei, it is the first national standard in the compute-electricity synergy domain and is significant for deepening the integration of computing infrastructure with storage technology and for supporting the “East Data, West Computing” project and the new power system.
The standard targets the high-energy, high-power-density data-center scenario, providing an actionable framework for storage selection principles, capacity configuration, safety and grid-connection requirements. As AI training and inference loads expand rapidly and data-center electricity demand surges, the standard fills a normative gap at the compute-power intersection.
Background & Interpretation
1. Industry and Policy Context
Since the “East Data, West Computing” initiative advanced, the spatial mismatch between compute layout and energy supply has intensified: eastern regions have strong demand but constrained energy and land, while the west is rich in clean energy but must convert power into compute output. Compute-electricity synergy has thus become the key link between the new power system and digital infrastructure, with policies on green-power direct connection, source-grid-load-storage integration and storage pairing rolling out densely.
At the same time, data centers are shifting from pure “power consumers” to “adjustable loads”: paired with storage to perform peak shaving, demand response and ancillary services, they cut electricity costs while giving the grid flexibility. The first national standard means this crossover segment now has a common selection language.
2. Core Drivers and Underlying Mechanisms
Data-center power use is characterized by high power, strong volatility and continuous operation; when training tasks start en masse, instantaneous power spikes, demanding extreme supply stability and power quality. Storage plays three roles: an upgraded form of UPS with millisecond-level switchover; peak-valley smoothing to cut capacity charges; and a flexible grid-side resource for frequency regulation and reserves.
The standard’s core value is mapping these functions into quantifiable, comparable metrics, so owners, equipment makers and grid operators can select on evidence rather than ad hoc designs, reducing rework and safety hazards from specification chaos.
3. Market Structure and Industry Chain Impact
The drafting lineup reveals the collaboration paradigm: the grid arm (State Grid Zhejiang) supplies system perspective, Zhejiang Lab and CAICT contribute standards and testing, and Envision, CATL and Huawei represent storage integration, cells and energy digitalization leaders. This “grid-research-industry” mix suggests the compute-electricity market will be led by players with system-integration capability.
For storage vendors, entering data centers means higher reliability and consistency thresholds; for operators, the standard lowers procurement uncertainty and may accelerate storage from “optional” to “mandatory” in new builds.
Implications & Outlook
Near term, as a national guidance document (GB/Z) the standard is not mandatory but will become a key reference for tenders, acceptance and grid access, steering the industry from “stacking batteries” to “compute-electric co-design.” Medium term, as AI power curves keep climbing, data-center storage may replicate the standardization path of telecom backup batteries, forming modular, scaled supply.
Key variables: local requirements on green-power ratios and storage configuration, grid rules admitting data centers to ancillary services, and the maturity of liquid cooling and high-density power delivery.
Takeaways for Industry Participants
- Storage firms should treat high power density, long life and system-level safety as product baselines for compute scenarios, not simple ports of commercial-industrial storage.
- Data-center operators can use the standard window to plan storage and green-power direct connection upfront, folding power cost and carbon constraints into total-cost-of-ownership.
- Grids and parks should expedite access and settlement rules so compute loads become genuinely dispatchable resources.
This column compiles industry information and shares technical perspectives; it does not constitute investment advice.