British Gas has initiated a trial to utilize excess heat generated from data processing to provide free hot water to households. Partnering with heata, the project incorporates a small compute unit connected to residential hot water cylinders, potentially saving on heating costs while mitigating the energy-intensive cooling needs of data centers. The trial is currently operational in ten employees' homes, and the system can deliver up to 4kWh of hot water daily. The initiative highlights a growing trend to repurpose waste heat from data centers amidst an energy crisis.
Waste heat is a big problem for data centers, leading to significant energy costs for cooling. Yet heat is valuable. On the other side of the coin you have an energy crisis and people struggling to heat their homes.
British Gas launching this trial is a huge step and we would love to see other firms following their lead. Being able to say you have reduced your compute carbon footprint and provided free hot water to people during an energy crisis is hugely powerful for companies who take pride in their sustainability and social impact.
Each heata unit can provide up to 4kWh of hot water per day, according to the company.
Operators are cutting down on data center waste heat, with increasing moves to use this resource to power homes.
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