The ever-growing demand for more powerful digital technologies and services – such as machine learning, autonomous vehicles, high-resolution video streams, social media, and online retail – requires increasingly powerful server infrastructures.

These high-performance systems are currently mostly concentrated in centralised data centers that require enormous amounts of electrical energy. However, much of this energy is released into the environment in the form of unused waste heat – with sometimes serious ecological consequences: The heat released affects the microclimate of neighboring cities, the energy supply infrastructure is costly and resource-intensive, and the CO₂ emissions from power plants, which often run on fossil fuels, further drive climate change.

Although the new Energy Efficiency Act stipulates a “greener” orientation for data centers – including the mandatory use of waste heat – the reality is often different: many operators use energy-intensive cooling systems to prevent overheating. One alternative is to connect to district heating networks. However, commercial areas and suburban locations often lack the necessary infrastructure. In addition, the high investment costs pose a major challenge.