Waste heat potentials from liquid cooled data centres for sustainable building heating solutions

Abstract

The surge in internet usage has heightened the demand for data centres (DCs) and resulted in significant increases in energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the world. Concurrently, buildings are among the largest energy consumers and CO2 emitters. Reducing carbon emissions in both DCs and buildings is crucial for climate change mitigation. This paper proposes innovations in DC waste heat reuse in building space heating tailored to different climate zones. It explores the potential of the latest Edge DCs with liquid cooling technology, where DCs directly contribute to building heating. Highlighting efficient heat exchanger design, we assess and compare DC waste heat recovery strategies for varying climate conditions, aiming to optimise energy efficiency without relying on heat pumps. We assess these strategies and their potential to reduce CO2 emissions. This study bridges gaps in existing literature and offers insights into region-specific applications of DC waste heat reuse in building space heating.