Data centers used for heating homes

As all those who are sensitive to environmental issues will know, the splendid Finnish capital Helsinki is one of the greenest cities in Europe: it shines above all for its very low level of pollution, for a perfectly organized and functioning separate waste collection system and for optimal nature conservation.

Like many other European cities, Helsinki already uses a district heating system for the water in its homes, so that the inhabitants of this splendid country feel less the harsh winters which can cause temperatures to reach -30°.

A new system was recently tested in the capital, which uses special methods of recovering the energy produced by the excess heat of the data centres, the server rooms.

With the advent of ""cloud computing"", the heat generated by computers is increasing and consequently requires sophisticated cooling systems. For this reason Helsinki will try to reuse the heat produced by data centers to heat homes.

Starting from April, an experiment will begin which will see the excess heat produced by the data center called Academica, located under the city, channeled towards the homes above. A nice way to not waste anything at all.