News

Waste heat from the Tier 2 data centre at Queen Mary University of London is now being repurposed to provide heating to the Joseph Priestley Building and the district heating system in the Mile End campus, thanks to the completion of an innovative carbon reduction refurbishment. The project, implemented in collaboration with Schneider Electric, PCH Engineers, BTU Installation and Maintenance and Advanced Power Technology (APT), uses a multi-stage heat recovery process to transform waste heat into water temperatures of 65-75°C.

Data centres are traditionally energy-intensive, consuming significant electricity to maintain the low temperatures required for optimal computer performance. The heat generated during their operation is typically wasted, contributing nothing to productive use and even requiring additional electricity for cooling systems to dissipate it. By capturing and reusing this waste heat, the initiative, initially devised by Lead Engineer Timothy Lee, repurposes energy that would otherwise be lost. This recovered energy is channelled into the university's district heating network, reducing reliance on gas boilers and cutting fossil fuel consumption.

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