University of Edinburgh showcases pioneering data centre heat reuse project at Glasgow event
Low-carbon scheme funded through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund uses waste heat from a university data centre to help warm campus buildings and cut emissions
A major low-carbon heating project at the University of Edinburgh will be highlighted this week at the All-Energy Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow.
The project, part funded through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund Phase 1 which is delivered by our team at Salix on behalf of Scottish Government, focuses on using waste heat from a data centre to help heat university buildings and reduce carbon emissions.
Chair of energy systems at the University of Edinburgh, Daniel Friedrich, will speak during the session “Heat networks: The cornerstone of a whole system approach,” organised by Heat Network Scotland.
Professor Friedrich’s research looks at how thermal energy systems can support a fair transition to net zero. His work is carried out with industry partners and researchers from different disciplines.
Speaking ahead of the event, he said: “I cannot wait to talk about two projects. The presentation will cover two options for the King’s Buildings campus: large-scale heat storage and the data centre heat integration project funded through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund Phase 1.”
Professor Friedrich will highlight the expansion of the data centre facility at the university’s James Clerk Maxwell Building. The project includes the installation of new liquid-cooled racks with a cooling demand of around 300kW.
The data centre racks at the University of Edinburgh
Photo credit: University of Edinburgh
Waste heat produced by the system is captured and transferred through a dedicated chilled water circuit to a new water source heat pump. The heat pump upgrades the low-grade heat to temperatures of around 70°C, allowing it to be reused for heating and hot water across the James Clerk Maxwell Building.
When demand in the building is lower, the system can also send heat into the wider King’s Buildings district heating network, helping supply energy across the campus.
The university says the project is one of the first systems of its kind in the UK and is expected to deliver major carbon savings as part of its Net Zero Climate Strategy.
Integrating thermal energy storage with district heating networks can bring benefits for both consumers and the wider energy system
Professor Friedrich added: “Integrating thermal energy storage with district heating networks can bring benefits for both consumers and the wider energy system.
“However, balancing those benefits between operators and users remains a challenge, and external funding support is still needed to make projects commercially viable.”
He also said using waste heat from data centres could play an important role in reducing emissions and supporting the decarbonisation of university campuses and other large sites.
The data centre at the University of Edinburgh
Photo credit: University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh secured more than £2 million in funding through Scotland's Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund to upgrade heating systems.
At Salix we’re committed to delivering the fund, working with organisations as they progress their net zero journeys.
This initiative, supporting Scotland's 2045 net-zero target, covers four buildings, including the James Clerk Maxwell Building, Christina Miller Building as well as residences at Pollock Halls.
The two-day All-Energy Conference and Exhibition takes place at the SEC Centre with around 300 exhibitors, thousands of visitors and hundreds of speakers taking part.
