Many European countries are turning to existing technologies to heat homes due to concerns over emissions and reliance on other countries’ energy supplies.
The continent already hosts many data centers run by some of the biggest tech companies, which consume vast amounts of energy to keep hot computers and server cool.
The large amounts of heat generated as a by-product of storing our ever-growing databases are often dissipated through the use of air conditioning units or cooling towers, meaning the heat is wasted. However, a growing number of data centers are now using this excess heat to heat homes and buildings.
heating data center
In Denmark, Meta has been recovering waste heat from its Odense data center since 2020 and hopes to heat the equivalent of 11,000 homes next year.
Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon are all planning similar moves, and Alphabet is exploring related opportunities.
Ten Dutch data centers are already connected to the district heating system, which distributes excess heat to nearby houses and buildings, and 15 more are in the pipeline.
There are many benefits to using a data center to heat your home. It reduces the need for the fossil fuels typically used to heat homes in Europe. Then, there is also the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, as data centers are often already powered by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
In France and Denmark, national and local governments have reportedly introduced tax incentives for more judicious use of waste heat, while some building permits require the recovery of additional heat.
In addition to heating homes, data centers are also being used to heat greenhouses, allowing farmers to grow crops year-round.According to Jeroen Burks (via Whole Wheat Numbers (opens in a new tab)), founder of the Dutch data center, a 180kW data center will be able to heat up to 5,000 square meters of greenhouse space in winter: enough to produce 250 metric tons of tomatoes.
The use of data centers to heat homes and buildings is gaining popularity in Europe and is expected to expand in the coming years. It’s a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to heat homes and other buildings, and it demonstrates the many ways in which technology can be used to solve some of the recent challenges facing the continent and the world.
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