Seattle is considering the idea of using waste heat from data centers to heat itself, funnelling energy from gigantic server rooms into a new district heating system to keep people warm.
The idea is to give the now-ageing technology of district heating—where heat is generated centrally and then distributed to buildings—a modern shot in the arm. According to The Economist, city authorities are in talks with Seattle Steam, a utility company called Corix and developers to build a district-energy system that would use heat from data centers. If it goes ahead, it’s hoped that the excess energy from data centers in the Westin Building and Fischer Plaza could heat new buildings, perhaps even including Amazon’s new HQ.
via Gizmodo
