A project is being developed in Stockholm that envisions using excess heat from large data centers to heat approximately 30,000 households, sources report.
The idea is for the heat produced by servers, instead of being wasted, to be connected to the existing district heating network and thus heat residential and commercial buildings in the city. The Stockholm Data Parks project was created through the collaboration of city authorities and companies from the energy and technology sectors.
According to estimates, data centers could in the future provide heat for more than 10 percent of buildings in the Swedish capital. The project’s authors emphasize that by reusing heat, the overall costs of energy production can be reduced, but this does not mean completely free heating for citizens, as electricity, infrastructure, and maintenance still have their costs.
Organizers state that the approach could serve as an example for other European cities facing rising energy prices and the need to reduce pollution.
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