Building Design + Construction
Summary
Although data centers are huge power consumers that can have a negative impact on carbon reduction goals, one of their traits—heat generation—can be used as a resource.
In Finland and Sweden, heat generated by data centers is being used to fuel district energy systems that distribute steam or superheated water to individual buildings, campuses, or whole neighborhoods. One Finnish data center last year heated the equivalent of 2,500 homes.
Microsoft is building a cluster of data centers that is expected to supply heating to 40% of Espoo, Finland’s second-largest city. That is the equivalent of 100,000 homes. That project has contributed to the decision to shut a local coal-fired heating plant.
#News#DistrictHeating#DataCenter