Two-thirds of Brits support data centre in their vicinity – provided the waste heat is used efficiently

“The era of data centres as passive energy consumers is over; the future belongs to those that flexibly adapt to the new landscape. This includes local power generation as much as it does understanding how to treat waste heat as a valuable asset for the community, thereby intelligently shaping the energy system instead of burdening it.” Marten Bunnemann, CEO of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions

An E.ON survey* of communities in the UK and in Germany has found that people are far more likely to accept data centres within their communities when they know the heat generated in computing operations can be utilised as a source of energy locally. About two thirds of people in the UK (66.8%) view data centres close to residential areas more attractive if their waste heat is specifically used for local heat networks. At the same time, more than three quarters of people (75.6%) advocate close cooperation between data centres, energy providers, and local authorities on the energy and heating transition.

"Digital sovereignty and competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence are among the most important political, economic, and social priorities across Europe today. With a triad of local energy generation, intelligent waste heat utilisation, and integrated energy management, we accelerate the commissioning of new data centre projects while simultaneously creating social value and providing noticeable relief to the energy system." says Marten Bunnemann, CEO of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions. "In doing so, we make an important contribution to building a resilient and future-proof digital infrastructure for Europe."

Waste heat generated by data centres serves as a simple, emission-free heat source for heat planning across communities or even whole cities: instead of being wasted, that heat energy can be captured and made available for use in local heating networks. Data centres therefore become active partners in Europe’s energy and heating transition.

One example of that collaboration between developers, energy companies and regional government is the  Silvertown development in East London’s Royal Docks. Silvertown showcases how a heat network based on the concept of “sharing” energy between neighbouring buildings can supply and decarbonise dense, mixed-use city districts.

The 760,000 sqm site will be the UK’s first development of E.ON’s pioneering ectogrid™ system, an energy sharing heat network that connects residential and commercial buildings with a data-centre as a heat source, using heat pumps to circulate and upgrade locally available energy. Once complete the site will save approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO2 a year – 88% lower emissions than from traditional gas boilers.

Data centres and the demand for digital

Computing demands for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data-intensive applications are driving up energy demand across Europe. New regulatory requirements for energy efficiency, waste heat utilisation, and decarbonising energy infrastructure also raise technical demands for data centre operators. As a result, “time-to-power” – the time from planning to the operational start of a data centre – is becoming a decisive metric for European data centre projects.

‘Energy playbook for data centres’ – a compass for an industry

The survey E.ON was carried out for a new E.ON report looking at the growing scale of data centres and their role in the energy transition. The publication combines insights into the current challenges faced by the European data centre industry with concrete solution approaches. As a result, European data centres gain insights into how they can reduce the time it takes to become operational – while simultaneously establishing themselves as recognised partners in the regions in which they operate.

E.ON provides specialised energy management, infrastructure, and sustainability solutions for data centres in the UK, focusing on reducing carbon emissions and improving efficiency for these high-energy-consuming sites.