Running a server farm or a data center is no small feat and the amount of heat that such places can generate is immense, which is why they are usually stored in rooms that are very, very cold. However in order to not waste the heat that has been generated, Apple’s data centers in Denmark will actually be returning any excess heat back to the community.
The data center is situated in the Jutland region and with the excess heat generated, it will be sent to the local district’s heating system which will then be used to heat homes within the community. To top it off, it seems that the data center will be partly powered by waste products generated by farms.
This is thanks to Apple’s work with Aarhus University in which they have created a system that can pass this waste through a “digester” which then generates methane. This methane is then used to power the data center. In addition, the digester reaction can also turn the waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer which can then be returned to local farms for use in their fields.
All of this is part of Apple’s green efforts in which the company had recently pledged to work towards a future where all their products will be made from recycled materials, and that they aim to stop mining the earth.
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