In 2025, the Danish data centers are expected to consume 3,600 GWh annually. This corresponds to a tenth of Denmark's total electricity consumption. The data centers' massive power consumption is the starting point for the innovation project Green DC.
In this project, the companies Heatflow and R&R Consult, together with Aalborg University and facilitated by Energy Cluster Denmark – Denmark's cluster organization and innovation platform for the energy sector – have developed a solution that can both reduce power consumption, cool the data centers' servers CO2-neutrally and at the same time send the surplus heat on to the district heating network, or the local buildings.
"We have connected the data center's servers to the district heating, so that you can both reap a large power saving from a more passive cooling and at the same time utilize the excess heat," says Dennis N. Jensen, VP technology at Heatflow. "The solution is easy to integrate and the technology is ready to be rolled out."
New heat exchanger
The climate-related double bonus is ensured by the fact that, through the innovation project, the partner group has developed a new condenser, also known as heat exchanger, that is connected directly to the servers. Thereby, the heat is diverted to the district heating system in a closed circuit. The cooling technology is carefully adapted to the servers of the data centers.
"We get the same high efficiency and waste heat temperature as with water cooling, which is efficient cooling of the servers, and a much more attractive heat product for the district heating supply," says Ali Ashghar Enkeshafi, Technology Developer from Aalborg University. He is excited about the process of developing a product that can now make a concrete difference: "That's why we get to work early and go home late! Because we love it and because we create solutions that go out into the world and live," he says.
Significant market potential
The next step is to get the innovative solution widespread, where according to Paw Mortensen, director and co-founder of Heatflow, it will be able to 'give a very quick impact in the market': "The projection on data center power consumption is enormous – we are most likely talking a factor of three within the next twenty years. And with the AI calculations, which are coming to an even greater extent than before, consumption will increase even more. Therefore, we see significant market potential in offering alternative cooling solutions," he says.
In addition, up to a million data centers must be refitted over the coming years, which is also very promising for the partners. "We stand with a finished result that can make a difference," says Hans Jørgen Brodersen, Senior Project Manager at Energy Cluster Denmark: "The collaboration between a small SME and Aalborg University on the development of the solution has been very exciting and has meant that we have been able to move from idea to model to prototype to new technology. Now it has to go on the market," he says.
