EU wants to use waste heat from data centers to heat houses

Data centers produce enough waste heat to heat the entire EU building stock. However, this excess energy has so far remained largely unused. A revised EU directive is now set to change that.

Whenever people use the Internet and, for example, scroll through social media or hold telephone and video conferences, corresponding data centers generate excess heat.

EU wants to divert waste heat to municipal heating networks

The EU-funded project “ReUseHeat“ to promote the reuse of waste heat, for example, describes in a study that data centers close to district heating systems could supply up to 50 terawatt hours of excess energy per year.

Overall, there is also enough waste heat to heat the entire building stock in the EU. So far, however, this residual heat has often simply been released into the open air. European officials are now pushing to divert them to municipal heating networks instead.

EU directive is to oblige data centers to check the utilization potential of their waste heat

As the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported, the EU intends to use waste heat from data centers to heat homes and offices. In addition, negotiations are under way for a new one Energy Efficiency Directive therefore already in the final phase.

In the future, operators of data centers would be obliged to carry out corresponding feasibility studies. The negotiations are part of the major “Fit for 55” project, which aims to reorganize all European legislation on energy and climate issues.

Germany is preparing a law on the use of waste heat from data centers

Other legal requirements should also ensure that waste heat is used sustainably in the future. In Germany is media reports According to this, for example, a corresponding law is being prepared that will require at least 30 percent of the waste heat to be reused as early as 2025.

Use of residual heat not new

However, this idea is not new. For several years, there have been a number of projects that deal with how residual heat from data centers can be used for heating in other ways.

For example, the digital association Bitkom only announced in the summer of 2022 that around 350,000 apartments could be supplied with waste heat from German data centers.

Financial incentive for companies

So far, the commitment to use the residual heat on the part of the data centers has been rather low. Various factors are now worrying loud WSJ However, it ensures that there is profitability for companies.

For example, Russia halted its natural gas supplies after the start of the war in Ukraine. Suddenly the business case for a heating network that is fed with residual heat is much more interesting, according to an expert.

Public pressure is also increasing

In addition, public pressure to increase the energy efficiency of data centers is also a key driver, according to industry representatives.

Countries such as France and Denmark have also introduced tax incentives and even made waste heat recovery a requirement for some building permits.

Problems with the use of waste heat from data centers

However, there are also a number of hurdles to be overcome when using the waste heat. For example, not all homes and offices are connected to a district heating network.

In addition, the temperatures of the transported heat must be relatively high. However, most data centers are cooled with air. This means the warm air they expel is not as hot as that required for most urban heating systems.

Heat pumps are designed to heat up waste heat

Heat pumps could heat the air to a usable level. However, technology companies must actively invest in their installation.

At the same time, some power companies charge loudly WSJ, that owners of data centers pledge their thermal energy for at least ten years or more. However, this is far beyond the usual planning horizon.

In addition, it is necessary for the data centers to be connected to nearby heating networks. However, this infrastructure is often not available, which means that a large part of the heat produced is lost.

Waste heat from data centers as a PR tool

Large companies such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft have already started or have plans to connect large data centers in Ireland, Denmark and Finland to district heating systems.

Google, in turn, checks out loud WSJ currently the possibility of heat recovery in its data centers in Europe. Because regardless of regulations, the use of your own waste heat is a good opportunity for operators to present themselves as supporters of the climate.

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