Schnelle Antworten
Wie funktioniert die HPE-Danfoss-Partnerschaft zur Datenzentrums-Wärmerückgewinnung?
Welche Effizienzgewinne und PUE kann man mit HPE MDC und Wärme-Reuse erwarten?
Lohnt sich Wärme-Reuse besonders für AI- und HPC-Data-Center?
Welche Technik-Bausteine sind in den modularen Lösungen der Partnerschaft enthalten?
Wie schnell lassen sich modulare Rechenzentrumsprojekte für Wärme-Export umsetzen?
Was sollten Sie vor der Einführung von Heat Reuse technisch prüfen?
HPE and Danfoss launch data center heat recovery partnership
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) and Danfoss have announced a data center heat recovery partnership that packages HPE IT Sustainability Services – Data Center Heat Recovery as an off‑the‑shelf module. The joint offer helps Sie manage and monetize excess heat on the path to more sustainable IT facilities, building on deployments Danfoss already runs at its Danish headquarters (Stand 2025).
How does the data center heat recovery partnership work?
HPE supplies modular data centers and direct liquid cooling, while Danfoss integrates heat exchangers and water‑to‑water heat pumps so Sie can reuse server waste heat for buildings or district heating. In practice, the module captures warm water from IT cooling loops, upgrades its temperature with a heat pump, and feeds it to heating systems or the grid.
The collaboration blends HPE’s modular data center (MDC) engineering with Danfoss’ HVAC and heat recovery portfolio—Turbocor compressors, hydronic heat exchangers, drives, and pumps—into a standardized building block. According to Danfoss, similar technology already recovers heat from its on‑site data center in Nordborg, where it’s boosted via heat pump and reused for space heating or injected into district heating. Details of the program and its rationale are outlined in the official announcement from Danfoss (partnership overview) and HPE’s services page (HPE Data Center Services).
Why now for heat reuse in AI‑scale data centers?
AI build‑outs are pushing power and cooling footprints sharply higher; the IEA expects AI electricity use by 2026 to be at least 10× 2023 levels. Continuous, high‑grade waste heat from GPUs and HPC loads turns data centers into reliable heat suppliers—especially where district heating exists.
For European operators, the macro case is clear: studies cited by Danfoss estimate EU excess heat at roughly 2,860 TWh per year—near the entire demand for heat and hot water in residential and service buildings. Because data centers run 24/7, their heat is steady and dispatchable after temperature lift, making them strong candidates to support municipal networks and nearby campuses. From Redaktionssicht hat sich gezeigt, dass Projekte schneller genehmigt werden, wenn Sie lokale Wärmeabnehmer frühzeitig vertraglich sichern und den CO₂‑Vorteil quantifizieren.
Excess heat: a reliable source of usable energy
Data center servers reject nearly all consumed electricity as heat. With hydronic loops and heat pumps, that thermal energy can be recovered at predictable volumes, offsetting gas or electric heating in adjacent buildings or neighborhoods. The data center heat recovery partnership productizes this path, lowering integration risk and time‑to‑value.
Advantages and agility of modularity
HPE’s MDC uses direct liquid cooling (DLC) to increase energy efficiency by more than 20 percent versus comparable air‑cooled designs, optimizing power distribution and capturing higher‑temperature water for efficient reuse. The compact form factor shortens piping and cable runs, maximizing temperature differentials at inlet and outlet—key for effective heat recovery.
Modularity also compresses project timelines. HPE and Danfoss position MDC deployments at roughly six months—about three times faster than many brick‑and‑mortar data centers that often run 18 months. The smaller footprint and factory integration mean Sie können Kapazität näher an Datenentstehungsorten platzieren, was Netzengpässe und Latenzen senkt und lokale Wärmenutzung vereinfacht.
Transformative collaboration
“Our partnership with Danfoss brings together HPE’s innovative modular data center with Danfoss’s heat recovery technology,” noted HPE’s Sue Preston. The joint approach targets not just operational cost and PUE improvements, but also a second revenue or savings stream by turning waste heat into a usable asset—aligned with enterprise environmental goals highlighted by both companies.
What efficiency gains and PUE can operators expect?
HPE cites PUE around 1.1 for its MDCs, versus 1.3–1.4 for top‑tier traditional facilities; DLC and integrated heat reuse further improve site energy effectiveness. Danfoss components can lift cooling efficiency by up to 30% while enabling high‑rate heat recovery for buildings or district energy.
In practice, achievable results depend on IT load profiles, return water temperatures, and the grade of heat required by the receiving system. Where Sie a steady 30–60 °C supply can be upgraded to district‑heating levels via water‑to‑water heat pumps, the thermal export becomes a stable, year‑round asset. Aus Redaktionssicht empfehlen wir, bereits im Vorfeld die Jahresvollbenutzungsstunden der Wärmepumpe und die Vergütung/Vermeidungskosten pro MWh Wärme zu modellieren—das beschleunigt Capex‑Freigaben.
Scalable modular solutions
The offer includes two tech‑stack options centered on a hydronic heat recovery heat exchanger and a water‑to‑water heat pump. Phase one targets air‑cooled, edge‑to‑cloud MDCs; a phase‑two path supports liquid‑cooled HPC modules. Key building blocks include Danfoss Turbocor® compressors in chillers and heat pumps, plus drives and packaged pumps to orchestrate variable flow and maximize COP at part load.
For high‑density compute—think HPE Cray Supercomputing EX4000 for generative AI or scientific HPC—the MDC architecture is designed to capture higher‑temperature return water from DLC cold plates or rear‑door heat exchangers, improving heat‑pump performance. That architecture can serve campus loops, greenhouses, or aquaculture—anywhere a consistent thermal sink exists.
Innovation in decarbonization
Danfoss frames the approach within its “Reduce, Reuse, Resource” strategy, which also extends to IT asset circularity. Together with HPE Asset Upcycling Services, Sie können decommissioned gear be refurbished and remarketed, recovering residual value and lowering Scope 3 impacts. At Danfoss’ Nordborg campus, similar integration contributed to CO₂‑neutral energy operations in 2022—an instructive reference design for enterprise campuses.
Where has this already been proven?
A pilot at Danfoss’ own facilities demonstrates on‑site heat recovery feeding nearby buildings and district heating. In academia, the University of Southern Denmark’s new data center—built with Danfoss and HPE—combines HPC with efficient cooling and heat recovery, providing operational data to optimize both the UCloud platform and the thermal systems (see SDU case study).
These references matter for Sie as a buyer: they reduce technical risk and provide baselines for return temperatures, heat‑pump sizing, grid interconnects, and control logic. They also show how to structure agreements with municipal utilities or campus facilities for predictable offtake.
What should Sie evaluate before adopting heat reuse?
Plan with a heat sink first. The economics depend on continuous offtake and a viable temperature lift. A short checklist:
- Identify one or more heat sinks (district heating, campus buildings, industrial process) with year‑round demand.
- Map thermal grades: available return temperatures from IT cooling vs. required supply temps post heat‑pump lift.
- Quantify revenue/avoidance: expected $/MWh or €/MWh for heat sales or displaced fuels, plus carbon pricing where applicable.
- Assess site integration: space for heat pumps, buffer tanks, and tie‑ins to building or district networks.
- Model control strategies: variable flow, seasonal COP, redundancy, and failover to conventional rejection when offtake pauses.
- Engage early with local utilities and permitting authorities to streamline interconnects and metering.
From an editorial perspective, Sie sollten außerdem prüfen, wie die data center heat recovery partnership sich in Ihre ESG‑Reporting‑Logik fügt—Scope‑1/2/3 Wirkung, third‑party assurance, und ob Wärmeerlöse als “avoided emissions” kommunizierbar sind.
Unprecedented efficiency
With high rack densities and DLC, HPE’s MDC targets a PUE near 1.1 while enabling effective heat capture—an advantage over many traditional facilities that top out at 1.3–1.4 even with optimized air systems. For operators running mission‑critical HPC and generative AI, that combination translates into higher compute per kilowatt and a second utility output: thermal energy. The data center heat recovery partnership formalizes this dual‑output design into a repeatable product Sie können skalieren.
Fazit
HPE and Danfoss are standardizing data‑center heat reuse by pairing modular facilities and DLC with proven heat‑pump tech. For AI‑era loads, the package offers PUE around 1.1 and up to 30% better cooling efficiency, plus monetizable heat export. Early proofs at Danfoss and SDU de‑risk adoption and provide design baselines. Wenn Sie frühzeitig Wärmeabnehmer sichern und die Thermik sauber auslegen, wird Abwärme vom Abfall zum Asset—technisch machbar heute, wirtschaftlich attraktiv je nach Standort und Tarifwelt.
HPE and Danfoss have initiated a collaboration to harness waste heat from data centers. This innovative approach aims to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in data center operations. By reusing the heat generated, they can significantly reduce the carbon footprint and operational costs. This partnership is a step forward in the quest for greener technology solutions.
In related news, the liquid-cooled data center solutions by Supermicro offer another effective way to manage heat in data centers. These solutions use liquid cooling to maintain optimal temperatures, enhancing performance and energy efficiency. The integration of such technologies aligns with the ongoing efforts to create more sustainable data centers.
Moreover, advancements in quantum internet integration with fiber optics are paving the way for faster and more secure data transmission. This breakthrough technology can complement the efforts of HPE and Danfoss by ensuring that data centers not only manage heat efficiently but also operate at peak performance levels. The integration of quantum internet could revolutionize data center operations.
On another note, the economic feasibility of air taxi services is being explored to address urban mobility challenges. While not directly related to data centers, the innovative spirit behind these projects shares a common goal of leveraging technology for a more sustainable future. Both initiatives highlight the importance of technological advancements in creating efficient and eco-friendly solutions.
