Joshua Feinberg and Mark Bjornsgaard discuss the potential of using data center heat for district heating, highlighting the significant retrofit opportunity in Europe, estimated at 3.4 trillion euros.
Mark notes that 3% of the UK's heating is district heat, projected to rise to 15%. J
Joshua points out the challenge of hyperscale data centers in secondary markets lacking nearby heat consumers.
Mark emphasizes the strategic benefits of decentralizing critical infrastructure, reducing attack surfaces, and the grid constraints limiting future electricity supply.
He mentions the growing trend of data centers integrating with district heating systems, suggesting it's becoming more common.
This video is excerpted from the podcast Ep. #40 Mark Bjornsgaard, Founder and CEO of Deep Green Technologies | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.
Action Items
- Explore opportunities to locate data centers adjacent to key heat consumers to enable waste heat reuse.
- Accelerate the expansion of district heating infrastructure to reach 15% of the UK's heating needs.
- Educate stakeholders on the benefits of decentralizing critical infrastructure like data centers.
Outline
Opportunities and Challenges in Data Center Heat Reuse for District Heating
- Joshua Feinberg discusses the current understanding of solar energy in the 2020s, emphasizing the concept of rooftop panels and battery storage.
- Highlights the potential of homes having trenches to the street for transmission lines and storage capacity with heat.
- Mark Bjornsgaard mentions a significant retrofit opportunity in Europe, estimating a 3.4 trillion euro market.
- Mark notes that 3% of the UK's heating is district heat, projected to increase to 15% with accelerated efforts.
- Joshua points out the trend of hyperscale facilities being built in secondary and tertiary markets, which lack adjacent consumers to capitalize on the heat generated.
Strategic and Security Considerations for Decentralized Infrastructure
- Mark Bjornsgaard discusses the strategic benefits of decentralizing critical infrastructure, including reduced attack surfaces.
- He mentions conversations with military and government representatives who support distributing infrastructure within towns and cities.
- Mark highlights the grid constraints and the challenges of meeting future electricity demands, even if the US electricity supply would increase by 20%.
- He notes that many data centers are integrating with district heating systems, making it a more common practice.
- Mark suggests that the trend of data centers integrating with district heating is becoming more normal and widespread.
Resources
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