Switch data centers pay money for server waste heat

The generation of heat ties up about half of the energy demand in Germany. On the other hand, vast amounts of waste heat are generated in various industries that cannot be used. One example of such a branch of industry is data centers.

Data centers are buildings or facilities located in the Data managed or distributed. The primary task of a switch data center is to distribute data. In order to realize this distribution and storage of data, a large number of electrical devices are necessary. Servers, computers, cooling systems or ventilation systems are part of every data center.

One area of concern and problem is the waste heat generated in the process. When using your home computer, you may have noticed that the device gets warmer and warmer the longer you use it. Energy that cannot be used. This is not a problem for the individual computer in your own four walls, since you do not usually operate it around the clock. In a data center with several hundred such devices, however, the waste heat generated adds up. Added to this is a running time of several thousand hours per year. It even requires active cooling of the devices. Thus, energy is required not only for operation but also for cooling, which is an additional cost driver for the companies offering the service.

The idea of using waste heat is therefore obvious, but it is not so simple. Various companies and research groups are working on this topic. The challenge lies less on the physical side and more on the economic side. From a technical point of view, it is certainly possible to use waste heat, for example through heat exchangers. However, this requires investment in equipment that is currently still cost-intensive, which means that companies see little reason to invest.

There is a particular incentive to implement such concepts in urban agglomerations. Here, the data centers and the potential consumers of the waste heat are close together, resulting in fewer transport losses. The system thus becomes more economical. In addition, there are innovations in cloud computing and 5G network expansion, which allow generators and consumers to be coordinated and networked more efficiently.

These changes, coupled with rising energy costs and the pressure to meet climate targets, whether set by the EU or the German government, are leading to a paradigm shift. Under the conditions described, data center operators are even willing to pay their customers for server waste heat. For data center operators, this creates an additional sales argument and they can increase sales or expand their customer base. Furthermore, there are positive side effects for the Environment and the climate.