# Shared and district heat reuse

One site's waste heat warming others: data centres, sewers, metros, factories, supermarkets.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/

Recovery and reuse · Shared heat and everyday recovery · No. 137

- Recovery and reuse
- Heat grade: Low
 Recovery and reuse · Shared heat and everyday recovery · Foundation · Energy

In Finland, heat from Microsoft's data centres now warms homes, supplying about 40% of a 2 TWh city heat network.

Chart: Illustration: Shared and district heat reuse

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Shared heat schemes collect lukewarm heat from data centres, treated sewage, metro tunnels or factories and lift it with big heat pumps into district heating pipes.

##### Three things to know

1. German data centres turn more than 13 TWh of electricity a year into heat, most of it simply thrown away.
2. EU rules now require data centres above 1 MW to use their waste heat unless shown not feasible.
3. Helsinki's Katri Vala plant sells both heat and 100 MW of cooling, helping it run about 6,250 full-load hours.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Lukewarm source**Data centres, sewage, metros, factories
2. 2 **Heat capture**Exchangers collect heat at 25-40 C
3. 3 **Heat pump**Electricity lifts it to network temperature
4. 4 **District network**Underground pipes carry hot water to buildings
5. 5 **Homes, offices**Warmth in winter, sometimes cooling in summer

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and thermodynamics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/rc-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/rc-eng/index.md)
- [Economics and contracts](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/rc-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/rc-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_shared_heat/links/index.md)