A waste heat recovery system captures the thermal energy generated by cooling systems, upgrades it via heat pumps, and redistributes it as usable hot water. This energy can then supply district heating networks, nearby buildings, or industrial processes—reducing the need for fossil-fuel heating.
Waste Heat Recovery Systems for Data Centres
Capture heat from data centres and reuse it for urban networks, industrial sites, or buildings. Carrier heat pumps recover and convert this energy into high-temperature thermal power, enabling integration into local systems. This makes data centres greener and supports long-term sustainability.
Sustainable Innovation in Thermal Recovery
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Energy Reuse Efficiency
Recover waste heat and repurpose it for secondary use, reducing total site energy consumption.
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Carbon Reduction
Support sustainability objectives and environmental compliance through reduced reliance on fossil fuel heating.
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Plug & Play Heat Recovery Integration
Carrier’s containerised solutions provide a true plug & play approach, making it easy to connect data centres with district heating networks for both retrofit and new-build projects.
Engineering Sustainable Thermal Ecosystems
Carrier’s data centre heat reuse technology leverages thermodynamic efficiency and digital control to deliver measurable energy recovery. Our energy recovery systems are designed to maintain operational stability while capturing and recycling thermal energy for other facility or community needs.
Through low-GWP refrigerants, high-efficiency heat pumps and intelligent load management, Carrier creates integrated solutions that lower total energy draw and carbon emissions. The result is a resilient, future-ready thermal infrastructure that turns waste into opportunity.
Benefits of Waste Heat Recovery Systems
Lower Operating Costs
Reduce energy expenditure by converting waste heat into usable power rather than venting it.
Improved ERF Performance
Enhance Energy Reuse Factor (ERF) metrics through optimised thermal recovery.
Regulatory & ESG Compliance
Support compliance with UK/European energy-efficiency directives, carbon reduction frameworks, and ESG reporting needs.
Enhanced Resilience & Redundancy
Carrier’s systems provide operational redundancy, ensuring stable temperatures even during peak loads.
Integration with Existing Infrastructure
Works seamlessly with legacy cooling systems, reducing the need for heavy retrofit modifications.
FAQ
Carrier’s high-efficiency heat pumps can elevate low-grade waste heat to high supply temperatures, typically ranging from 55°C to 85°C, depending on the application and model. This makes them suitable for both modern district heating networks and onsite heating requirements.
Absolutely. Carrier offers modular, containerised, plug-and-play systems that integrate smoothly with existing chilled-water and cooling infrastructure. This minimises disruption and makes heat recovery viable even for fully operational facilities.
Depending on IT load, cooling architecture and integration design, data centres can recover up to 80% of their waste heat. Carrier engineers perform site-specific feasibility studies to estimate recoverable energy and achievable temperature levels.
Carrier prioritises low-GWP refrigerants and high-efficiency thermodynamic designs to support sustainability goals and regulatory compliance.
