The heat produced by a data centre, the size of a washing machine, is being utilized to warm a public swimming pool in Devon, United Kingdom.
According to a news report by BBC News, to capture the heat, the computers in the data centre are surrounded by oil. This heat is sufficient to maintain the pool at around 30 C (86 F) for 60 per cent of the time, resulting in significant cost savings for the Exmouth Leisure Centre.
According to Sustainability Magazine, 65 leisure centers in the U.K. have closed due to increasing energy costs since 2019. The report further states the data centre’s energy is provided to the leisure centre by Deep Green, a startup that charges clients for using its computing power for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Deep Green also reimburses the leisure centre for its electricity costs associated with running the “digital boiler.”
Seven other pools in England have joined this initiative. According to the same report, the concept is simple: the hot oil is circulated through a heat exchanger to warm the pool water.
This partnership has helped the leisure centre reduce its energy expenses, which were expected to increase by £100,000 this year.
