Data center waste heat stored for winter use
Software company Epic Systems utilizes waste heat from its data center to warm and cool surrounding buildings by storing the heat underground.
Verona, Wisconsin – Software company Epic Systems has developed a system to capture waste heat from its data center and store it underground for later use.
The company has drilled approximately 6,100 wells, between 90 to 240 meters deep, to leverage the stable underground temperature. During summer, heat generated by the data center is pumped into the ground, and in winter, it is retrieved to heat buildings and supply hot water.
While ground-source heat pumps are common, what makes Epic's system unusual is the active storage of heat into the ground during summer and its extraction in winter. This addresses the common challenge of waste heat utilization where the need and production of heat do not align.
Epic's system provides heat for about 40 buildings on its campus, warming offices, supplying hot water to dining halls, and even melting snow off sidewalks. The company's buildings use approximately 25% less energy than comparable buildings in the same climate.