- Tech companies are using the data centres that house their vast servers to heat homes and cut CO2.
- The data-centre heating , according to recent forecasts from the International Data Corporation.
- Data-generated heating could slash energy bills for consumers as more companies and governments opt to use it.
Between 2018 and 2020, more digital information was created than in all of human history pre-2018. Much of this was stored in huge, energy intensive data centres, according to the International Data Corporation.
The heat created by these servers can be used to warm homes, making them more sustainable and providing an alternative fuel for houses and offices.
Making use of data centre heat
In Sweden, an initiative called Stockholm Data Parks runs in partnership with political and industry leaders to warm people’s homes using waste heat generated by the city’s data centres.
At a time when the war in Ukraine and the price of gas has left many consumers fearful of approaching winter, the possibilities of the scheme look promising.
The largest data centres produce over 100MW of energy, which is enough to power 80 
,000 homes, according to the think tank Energy Innovation. Stockholm Data Park’s current goal is to meet 10% of the entire heating needs of Stockholm by 2035.
In the Netherlands, a company called Switch Datacenters has mitigated reliance on natural gas by replacing its gas generator units with data-centre heating. Through this system, 97% of the server heat can be delivered to homes and offices, according to CEO Gregor Snip. Read more