Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 January 2019
We use the Energy Packet Network (EPN) to investigate an optimal energy distribution problem for the computer-communication system which is powered by intermittent renewable energy sources. The objective is to find an optimal energy distribution to minimize the proposed cost function which computes penalty costs caused by the overall average response time of jobs and the energy loss. In this EPN system, we consider the energy can be lost through storage leakages, or due to empty workstations which will consume energy even no job needs to be processed. Related numerical examples with different sets of parameter values are presented in the paper to evaluate the system performance and to examine the obtained analytical solution. Then a special case is considered to study the optimal system performance when the total energy harvesting rate is sufficiently large.