IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v313y2024ics0360544224037915.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Enhancing third-generation district heating networks with data centre waste heat recovery: analysis of a case study in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Socci, Luca
  • Rocchetti, Andrea
  • Verzino, Antonio
  • Zini, Andrea
  • Talluri, Lorenzo

Abstract

In this study, the integration of waste heat from a Data Centre (DC) into a Third-Generation District Heating Network (DHN) is evaluated, showing the improvement in the environmental footprint of the DHN currently supplied by fossil fuels (combined heat and power devices fuelled by natural gas). DC serves as a source of low-grade thermal waste heat, which is upgraded to the required temperature for the DHN using high-temperature heat pumps. Energy analyses are conducted on an hourly basis, considering load profiles of the DHN derived from a real case study and varying thermal loads of the DC (100–500 kW). The key findings of the research are as follows: a non-integrated 100 kW DC produces 926 MWh/year of waste heat which is discharged into the surrounding environment (contributing to the urban heat island effect), in the integrated scenario the proportion of waste heat in the DHN energy mix ranges from 12 % to 59 % resulting in a reduction of gas consumption ranging from 11 % to 58 %. These results underscore the significant potential for energy savings and reduced fossil fuel consumption through the utilisation of waste heat from DCs in DHNs, enhancing the widespread decarbonisation of this sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Socci, Luca & Rocchetti, Andrea & Verzino, Antonio & Zini, Andrea & Talluri, Lorenzo, 2024. "Enhancing third-generation district heating networks with data centre waste heat recovery: analysis of a case study in Italy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:313:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224037915
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.134013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544224037915
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2024.134013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:313:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224037915. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.