Moderation:
Language: English
Thomas Volder, Program Lead, Net Zero Innovation Hub
Panelists will follow soon.
Data centers generate significant amounts of low-carbon heat, but there is still great potential for sharing that heat with local communities
While district heating remains one of the most mature pathways for heat reuse, many data centers are located in regions where district energy infrastructure is unavailable, undersized, or unable to absorb available heat. To unlock the full potential of data center heat, the industry must explore additional pathways and applications. Through its heat reuse workstream, the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers is investigating a range of emerging opportunities, including heat for water generation, algae cultivation, direct air capture, and other industrial applications.
This panel brings together technology providers, data center operators, and innovation leaders to discuss where these solutions show promise, what barriers remain, and how the industry can accelerate deployment of heat reuse projects beyond traditional district heating models.
Topics for discussion:
- • Beyond district heating: what other opportunities exist for data center heat?
- • Which applications show the greatest technical and commercial potential?
- • What infrastructure and partnerships are needed to unlock new use cases?
- • What are the biggest barriers to scaling heat reuse projects?
- • How can the energy and digital infrastructure sectors work together to accelerate deployment?