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Datacenters Heat Homes, Slash Energy Bills!
19 Sep
Summary
- Servers in homes provide hot water, cutting bills by £10-£15 monthly.
- Heata uses server heat for 80% of hot water needs.
- Thermify's HeatHub units convert computer heat into energy for radiators.
Domestic energy bills are set to increase, prompting innovative approaches to home heating. Giles Gibson in London is utilizing a heata system, which attaches a computer server to his hot water cylinder. This setup generates heat as the server operates, providing hot water and reducing his bills by an estimated £10 to £15 per month.
The heata system aims to supply approximately 80% of a home's hot water requirements. It is compatible with homes featuring vented water cylinders and can also work with heat pumps, though not with combi boilers. The company covers the electricity costs for the server.
In a parallel development, thermify is testing its HeatHub units, which contain nearly 500 small computers. These units convert the heat produced by the computers into energy for radiators, using a mineral oil and heat exchanger system. This technology, while costing around £90 per month, claims significant long-term bill reductions.
Thermify anticipates offering various unit sizes for different homes, from microwave-sized for flats to washing-machine-sized for larger houses. The company projects savings of up to 14% compared to gas boilers and 34% compared to heat pumps over a 15-year contract period.
