From bytes to pipes: data thermal energy in Diemen ensures warm homes
The municipality of Diemen is working with datacenter company Switch Datacenters on an innovative application: the use of residual heat from customers’ computers that run entirely on green electricity – also known as data thermal energy. Where residual heat is often seen as a difficult challenge, the municipality of Diemen is converting this into an opportunity to provide thousands of homes with sustainable heat.
From idea to collaboration
The initiative started surprisingly simple: with a phone call from Edgar van Essen (Switch Datacenters) to the heat director of the municipality of Diemen, Siem Goede. Diemen was already facing the challenge of making its heat supply more sustainable. When it turned out that the heat demand in Diemen-Zuid could be almost entirely covered by the available green residual heat from the datacenter, the pieces of the puzzle quickly fell into place.
There is now a letter of intent and the first feasibility studies have been completed. These were co-financed with a subsidy from the Province of North Holland (Heat Transition Built Environment at district level). The results confirm what those involved already suspected: the combination of the location of the datacenter, the existing plans of the municipality and the available infrastructure makes this a promising project.
Geographical location as an opportunity
The location of Diemen plays a key role in this story. The municipality is located between Amsterdam and Almere, in the middle of a cluster of datacenters. At the same time, the nearby Diemen Zuid district is relatively modern and densely built, which can be beneficial for a heat network. This proximity makes the business case particularly favorable: there is hardly any transport loss and the required heat network can be constructed relatively compactly.
This distinguishes Diemen from many other municipalities where the distance between source and demand is often greater. This is where supply and demand come together almost ideally, making the project an example for other urban regions with similar circumstances.
Residents and support
According to Boaz Bar-Adon, energy transition project manager at the municipality of Diemen, participation plays an important role. A think tank has been set up in Diemen-Zuid in which dozens of residents participate. They gain insight into what data thermal energy entails and can have a say in the plans. Boaz sees curiosity and constructive involvement among the residents, rather than resistance.
The explanation to residents is also relatively simple: the heat is already there, coming from computers that everyone uses every day and that run on green electricity. Where that heat currently disappears into the air, it will soon be able to heat thousands of homes in a completely green way.
Opportunities and risks
The potential of data thermal energy is great, but there are also challenges. Constructing a heat network requires substantial investments and cooperation with parties such as Liander, heat companies and residents. In addition, national rules and the new Heat Act play a role. Nevertheless, both the municipality of Diemen and Switch Datacenters are convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks. Data thermal energy can save costs and create a robust alternative to individual heat pumps, which are not practical or feasible everywhere.
Edgar emphasizes that Switch Datacenters consciously chooses to focus on this: “It’s not a marketing story for us. We simply think it is our duty to make this heat, from green electricity, available to society.”
An example for other municipalities
What makes this project in the municipality of Diemen special is the combination of factors: a decisive municipality with in-house knowledge, political courage and a local entrepreneur who sees opportunities. According to Edgar and Boaz, other congregations can learn from this. Not by simply copying the model, but by being open to new energy sources and looking for collaborations. Data thermal energy shows how green residual heat can make an important contribution to making heat networks more sustainable.
Looking ahead
In the coming years, we will work towards a concrete cooperation agreement with all parties involved. The goal is to also arrive at a conclusive financial plan by the end of 2026. If successful, Diemen could become one of the first municipalities in the Netherlands where data thermal energy is applied on a large scale.
For Edgar, it’s clear: “Datacenters are only growing. The demand for data is increasing every year, and with it the heat that is released. The trick is not to waste that residual heat – or rather: green data thermal energy – but to convert it into social added value.”
Originally published by
Servicepunt Duurzame Energie
