Data Center Waste Heat Recovery
PAS QuickNotes 117
By Timothy Spencer
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The recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) use has driven a similar increase in data center development. In most cases, data centers are resource drains that negatively impact neighboring communities. An average data center uses between four and five times as much energy as a similarly sized office building, and its servers generate so much heat that they require year-round, constant cooling. However, this waste heat can become a valuable resource when used instead of fossil fuels to heat nearby buildings. A growing number of projects in the U.S. and around the world are now using data centers as heat sources for nearby buildings.
This edition of PAS QuickNotes explains how data center waste heat recovery works, offers real-world project examples, and provides recommended strategies to help planners explore the potential for waste heat recovery in their own communities.
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About the Author
Timothy Spencer
Timothy Spencer, LEED AP, WELL AP, is an energy and resilience planner and project manager in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to this, he worked as a building energy analyst and energy modeler for a consulting engineering firm, working on over 30 large-scale LEED building projects. He has also worked as an energy benchmarking researcher and a custom home designer. He holds a Master of Science in sustainable design from Carnegie Mellon University.