Equinix will export surplus heat from data centers to local heating plants

Energy efficiency requirements for buildings are increasing in EU countries, so more and more new energy efficient solutions are needed. One of these could be… data centres. It is estimated that a 20MW centre generates enough heat per year to heat 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools for a month or 4,500 homes for a year.

Hence Equinix’s idea to export the heat generated by its servers to local district heating plants for use as an alternative heating source for homes and sports infrastructure.

High-powered server racks often run continuously, generating residual heat that must be disposed of to prevent equipment failure. Until recently, efficient cooling systems were used to remove this heat completely. However, these solutions did not exploit the potential value of the heat energy generated.

The company has started to work with energy companies and district heating plants to export the waste heat to buildings close to the data centre. Such a heat source can provide an alternative to fossil fuel energy. This applies not only to homes, but also to sports infrastructure, as the heat extracted in this way can be useful for sports events.

An example of such a solution is Equinix’s latest PA10 data centre in Paris, which has been designed to recover and export the residual heat it generates. Excess energy will be transferred to the Plaine Saulnier urban development zone and the Olympic Aquatic Centre.

During operation, the servers generate heat, which we are now trying to make the best use of. In this way, we are supporting a closed-loop economy. Our initiative shows that modern data centres can not only accelerate digital transformation, but also contribute to the development of local communities,” said Sylwia Pyśkiewicz, Managing Director of Equinix in Poland.