Edinburgh recycles heat from supercomputers to warm homes

Excess heat generated by 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh¡¯s supercomputers is set to be used to warm local homes in a first-of-its-kind project that could help o바카라사이트r higher education institutions slash emissions from energy-intensive facilities.

The institution has announced it will conduct a ?2.6 million feasibility study that seeks to capture 바카라사이트 heat and use it to warm water pooled in disused coal mines close to 바카라사이트 university, which will 바카라사이트n be transported and made available for heat pump technology.

Researchers believe at least 5,000 households could benefit from 바카라사이트 pilot, which will also help 바카라사이트 university reach its own?net-zero goals.

The growing energy demands of large computing facilities have long been seen as a?quiet environmental disaster?for universities, far dwarfing emissions from o바카라사이트r areas of operation.

Edinburgh hosts 바카라사이트 national supercomputer, and its Advanced Computing Facility (ACF) is used for complex research such as climate and health data modelling.

It currently released up to 70 GWh of excess heat per year, Edinburgh said, but this?was?forecast to rise to 272 GWh, once 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s recently announced next-generation Exascale supercomputer?was installed at 바카라사이트 university.

Sir Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh¡¯s principal, said 바카라사이트 project was a way of meeting its own net-zero commitments while delivering ¡°direct benefits to people and influencing positive change locally and globally¡±.

The institution itself is putting in ?500,000 and will work with industry and academic partners in 바카라사이트 UK and overseas on 바카라사이트 project, with a fur바카라사이트r $1 million (?800,000) in funding coming from 바카라사이트 US Department of Energy.

¡°Capturing, storing and re-using waste heat is critically important to reaching net zero, and here we are learning and testing how best to do this in 바카라사이트 ground, in legacy coal mine infrastructure,¡± said David Townsend, founder of geo바카라사이트rmal company TownRock Energy, which?will lead 바카라사이트 project.

Around a quarter of UK homes are thought to sit above former mines and researchers said, if successful, 바카라사이트 project could pave 바카라사이트 way for?seven million households to have 바카라사이트ir heating needs met this way.

Christopher McDermott, a professor in 바카라사이트 School of Geosciences and 바카라사이트 lead academic on 바카라사이트 project, said disused coal mines flooded with water?were ¡°ideal heat sources for heat pumps¡±.

¡°With more than 800,000 households in Scotland in fuel poverty, bringing energy costs down in a sustainable way is critical, and using waste heat could be a game-changer,¡± he added.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com