The Greater London Authority (GLA), supported by AECOM and Hermetica Black, have now published their report looking at how to optimise data centres in London through heat reuse.
Driven by digitalisation and the rise of AI, data centres are continuing to expand rapidly. Data centres will continue to support economic growth in London, however, this needs to be balanced against localised impacts they can sometimes cause, such as on grid capacity.
Capturing and repurposing surplus energy from data centres through integration with heat networks presents a valuable opportunity to drive whole system efficiency, reduce their environmental impact, and bring about localised benefits. Alistar Dunlop, the Senior Policy and Project Officer at GLA says:
“To drive sustainable growth of data centres we need to share knowledge and best practice. This report does just that and should enable policy makers and industry to work together to optimise the delivery of heat reuse in data centres”
Drawing on stakeholder input from across the sector, technical interviews and energy modelling, the report provides a clearer understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and practical solutions for integrating data centre waste heat into district heating networks and will be useful for:
- Local authorities and those responsible for reviewing data centre planning applications and preparing Local Plans
- Policy makers involved in developing strategic policy for either data centres or heat networks
- Data centre developers who are interested in understanding the potential for heat reuse and how it may be implemented.
- Heat networks developers (commercial and technical) looking to develop new heat networks or decarbonise existing networks.
If you have any questions about the work, please reach out to Alistair Dunlop (Alistair.Dunlop@london.gov.uk) at the GLA.