Waste heat is a term used to describe the heat generated by a data center.

How does waste heat occur?

When a computer is in use, it generates heat. In a data center, there are typically hundreds of servers in a hall or room, which means it becomes very hot.

This has traditionally been a challenge for data centers, as heat is usually something one wants to get rid of as quickly as possible. For this reason, the heat produced is released into the outdoors, sea, or rivers in order to exchange it with something cooler and maintain an optimal operating temperature.

What can waste heat be used for?

Several entities choose to harness waste heat for beneficial purposes (heat recovery), such as heating homes, schools, and greenhouses, to name a few.

A good example of this is our data center in Jæren in collaboration with Wiig Gartneri, where the waste heat will be utilized in greenhouse production.