UNCOVERING THE LAYERS
Gemma Reeves , Business Unit Manager in Data Centres at Alfa Laval
Considering this example , it is clear that the potential for heat recovery schemes in the data centre sector is enormous . It should also be noted that a large heat network is not necessary to reuse heat – there are a number of possible alternatives , such as greenhouses , swimming pools and fish farms , which can draw similar benefits .
Pairing this mechanism with ancillary systems , such as heat pumps and energy storage , could allow communities to reduce their heating bills , become more resilient to climate change and create a sense of community between industry and the public . This circularity has the potential to create a positive feedback loop .
Legal frameworks
However , while the engineering first appears relatively straightforward , the overall situation is more complex than it may seem . Namely , current laws may potentially prove a hinderance to revolutionary ideas . This is key in the question of data centres as heat providers .
Both globally and in the UK , the so-called ‘ private wire ’ is heavily regulated , requiring a host of backups and redundancy systems . While these regulations are important to safeguard consumers , it is one of the main roadblocks to allowing data centres to use their vast amounts of waste heat productively .
Here , legislative amendments or new frameworks would be necessary to facilitate data centre connections to the grid . This could be achieved by allowing data centre operators to spin out heat operating companies , meaning the regulations for private wire would only cover the provider instead of the whole data centre . www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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