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As an alternative to using dry coolers , we can connect chillers to the heated pipes , which provides water heated to 50 – 60 ° C .
already uses warm water , which is currently produced with electric systems or boilers . Integrating data centres into the process means doubling up on use of heat and reducing our reliance on heat generation from other sources . This means there are opportunities to apply the concept to warmer climates and in areas of seasonal fluctuation . When the weather gets warmer , for example , the energy can be diverted from warming houses to fermentation sites .
Circular design
Astrid Wynne , Techbuyer Sustainability Lead and Chair of the Sustainability SIG at the Data Centre Alliance
the local town of Falun for district heating and also to feed the pellet manufacturing site in the area . These early examples lead some to believe that the solution only works in cold climates . However , Gyulnazaryan is keen to point out that that is not the case .
Global application
A lot of food production requires heat to prepare and to package . Beer , milk products and pharma manufacturing also use the heat , as do the production of plastic and rubber , desalination projects , warming water for washing machines , showers etc . Each of these processes
Gyulnazaryan says there is scope to introduce a circular system between the data centre and external systems , as he explains with this example from district heating :
“ When we use a heat pump , or chiller for data centre heat transfer , we add 25 – 30 % to the IT-equipment heat rejection . In district heating , the heat losses are around 10 % through the pipes due to high grade temperature of water and the large difference with the ground temperature . However , if we choose instead to feed systems like underfloor heating , it means that the heat loss is absorbed into heating the house . What ’ s more , the heat loss that goes on in the district heating is useful for the data centre because it eventually lowers the temperature to 20 ° C , which can then be fed back into data centre cooling .”
Retrofit
“ Usually , data centres are equipped with chillers and dry coolers , which reject the heat into the ambient air , where it is difficult to harvest ,” said Gyulnazaryan . “ As an alternative to using dry coolers , we can connect chillers to the heated pipes , which provides water heated to 50 – 60 ° C . If we need to increase temperature , then we can use second stage heat pumps . These types of systems can be installed inside the data centre building or outside in modular containerised solutions . This system can be used instead of a fuelbased boiler at the recipient ’ s end and eliminate their use of carbon . The process can be reworked if the recipient is using integrated electrical heaters , but we need to rethink the process line .”
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