Sustainable use of waste heat - in no less than ten data centers in Germany

Using waste heat sustainably and saving valuable energy in the process - this strategy is advancing numerous industries by significantly reducing energy consumption and making efficient use of waste heat. This approach offers great potential for energy-intensive sectors in particular. One example of this is a major project by ENGIE Refrigeration, which includes ten data centers in Germany's metropolitan areas. These are part of an edge data center platform from a German provider that decentralizes its data business and thus distributes the corresponding computing power as close as possible to end users. An innovative concept whose success depends in part on the reliable provision of cooling and heating - and which is perfectly complemented by the approach of using waste heat sustainably. Our cooling and heating solutions are also a perfect fit for the project: Nine air-cooled QUANTUM chillers with integrated free cooling and a total cooling capacity of 6.75 megawatts, seven SPECTRUM Water heat pumps in containers with a total heating capacity of 5.25 megawatts and three QUANTUM Air chillers with Green Heat Recovery (GHR) with a total cooling capacity of 2.25 megawatts reliably supply the ten data centers in Germany with cooling and heating.

Using waste heat: a success factor in the energy transition
Each model contributes to the success of the project through its individual strengths: The QUANTUM Air chiller guarantees the ideal temperature in the server rooms of the data centers in Germany. Thanks to Green Heat Recovery, it enables the operators to use the waste heat from the cooling process. This benefits local stakeholders - and therefore the economy and society. By using the innovative technology, the customer reduces the energy consumption of the ten data centers in Germany by up to 60 percent compared to conventional cooling. This leads to a corresponding reduction in energy-related CO₂ emissions, the exact amount depending on the applicable electricity mix. In winter and during cool transitional periods, the QUANTUM Air chiller with integrated free cooling module offers outstanding energy efficiency - and also saves energy costs. The integrated fast restart technology restores the complete cooling supply in the event of a power failure in the data centers in Germany within just three minutes. The trio is completed by the SPECTRUM water heat pump with an outlet temperature of 65 degrees Celsius and an output of 6.5 megawatts - and for the first time ever in a compact container for this project, which ensures uncomplicated transportation and flexible deployment. Here, too, the experts have succeeded in making sensible use of the waste heat. Thanks to the refrigerant R-1234ze (GWP value = 1), the solution uses a non-fluorinated refrigerant with a significantly lower global warming potential compared to conventional HFC refrigerants. An outstanding example of how waste heat recovery and energy-efficient cooling can be successfully combined - a model worth considering not only for data centers, but for numerous energy-intensive industries.