Explained | Recycling heat generated by datacentres to cut CO2 emission

Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky estimated that in winter, a datacentre can provide heating up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to a gas boiler, with better energy efficiency than a heat pump in a new house.

The story so far :

Microsoft has partnered with Fortum, a Finnish energy company to heat homes, services and businesses in Finland with sustainable waste heat from a new datacentre region that Microsoft has planned to build in the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. The software giant claims the waste heat recycling concept from the datacentre region to be the world’s largest scheme to recycle waste heat from data centres. The joint project takes place at the intersection of two megatrends: digitalisation and energy transition.

(Sign up to our Technology newsletter, Today’s Cache, for insights on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, business and policy. Click here to subscribe for free.)

What is a datacentre ?

A datacentre is a physical facility that organisations use to store their critical applications and data, process data and disseminate them to users. It is designed based on a network of computing and storage resources that enables delivery of shared applications and data. The key components of a datacentre are routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, servers, and application-delivery controllers.

Many large datacentres are located in dedicated buildings. Smaller datacentres may be situated in specially designed rooms within buildings constructed to serve multiple functions. Since datacentres consume large amounts of energy, it’s important to ensure the physical structures that house them are well-designed and insulated to optimise temperature controls and energy efficiency.

How much heat datacentres generate?