A computer server the size of a washing machine is being used to heat a public pool
The reason for the closure of more than 60 public swimming pools across Britain over the past four years was the explosive increase in energy prices.
And with bills for some expected to rise by £100,000 this year, it has left entertainment venues looking for ways to keep facilities running.
Use one unusual solution – a data center the size of a washing machine.
It may sound far-fetched, but one entertainment center in Devon uses computer power to heat its pool.
The idea is to place 12 computers inside a white box, which is then surrounded by oil to trap the waste heat they produce. a similar way to another concept that uses computer servers to heat water in people’s homes..
Innovative: It may sound far-fetched, but Devon’s Exmouth Leisure Center uses computer power to heat its pool. The tiny computer server was provided by startup Deep Green. Pictured is Mark Bjonsgaard, CEO of the company.
How it works: Several computers are placed in a white box, which is then coated with oil to trap the waste heat they produce. The hot oil is in turn pumped to a heat exchanger to heat the pool water to around 86°F (30°C) 60% of the time (pictured).
The hot biodegradable mineral oil is in turn pumped to a heat exchanger to heat the pool water to approximately 86°F (30°C) 60% of the time.
It is estimated that this will save the Exmouth Leisure Center up to £20,000 a year.
The tiny data center was donated to the municipal facility by startup firm Deep Green, which also covers the electricity costs it requires.
Deep Green makes money by charging customers for using the processing power provided by the server for artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Company founder Mark Bjornsgaard said seven more swimming pools in England had joined the scheme, but added that around 1,500 could also benefit.
“Data centers have huge heat problems,” he told the BBC.
A lot of the money that goes into running a data center goes into getting rid of heat.
“So what we’ve done is move a very small part of the data center to where heat is useful and needed.”
Sean Day, manager of the Exmouth Leisure Centre, said his collaboration with Deep Green has helped cut costs during an “astronomical” rise in gas prices over the past 12 months.
He said he expected electricity bills to rise by £100,000 this year.
Instead, Deep Green estimates that its “digital boiler” could help the entertainment center save more than £20,000 a year and cut carbon emissions by 25.8 tonnes.
Energy costs in entertainment centers have risen by 150% since 2019, and it is estimated that 79% of facilities may be closed.
What it looks like: The idea is to place 12 computers inside a white box, which is then surrounded by oil to trap the waste heat they produce (pictured).
A A BBC investigation last year found that swimmers across the UK have lost access to more than 60 public pools. since 2019.
Staff shortages, rising electricity costs, and shortages of chemicals have been blamed for creating a “perfect storm” for the centers.
Deep Green’s claims that 30 percent of industrial and commercial heat needs can be met with this technology.
The company’s cloud data centers can also be installed in bakeries, distilleries, laundries and apartment buildings.
Similar technology is being rolled out to homes across the country by a startup that is fitting computer servers into hot water tanks.
Clever: Another British startup called Heata has come up with an idea that it says could soon save Britons £150 a year on their energy bills by using computer servers to heat water.
Heata claims its shoebox-sized device could help Britons save around £150 a year on their energy bills, while smaller businesses can also use the processing power available on servers rather than in a large data center.
Ass the computer heats up, the tank removes waste heat from it and uses it to heat water for showers, baths and dishes.
According to the company, each unit can supply up to 4.8kWh of hot water per day – roughly 80% of the hot water needed by the average British household.
The electricity used by the device is metered and homeowners are credited with the amount used at 10 percent above the market rate, the company said.
Hita says an electrician can install their device in less than two hours using “a British Gas approved process, no plumbing.”
HOW THE BRIT CAN REDUCED ELECTRICITY BILLS BY CONNECTING A SERVER TO A WATER TANK
Computer servers in large data centers across the UK require huge cooling systems to keep them from overheating.
The problem is that about 45 percent of the energy consumed in these centers goes to cooling.
So British startup Heata came up with a new solution to avoid the need to have these cooling systems and instead use the waste heat generated by computers.
Heata claims its shoebox-sized device could help Britons save around £150 a year on their energy bills, while smaller businesses can also use the processing power available on servers rather than in a large data center.
He suggests installing processes in people’s homes by attaching them to their water tanks. Tanks then take this waste heat and use it to heat water for showers and dishwashing.
It costs the homeowner nothing because Heata covers the cost of the electricity needed for the servers.
The company makes money by essentially renting out these computer servers to companies across the UK, such as architecture firms that need to do computer-intensive rendering.
Hita insists that the data be protected. Currently, however, the servers must use the homeowner’s broadband to operate, but the firm is in talks with ISPs to find a workaround for this to avoid spending a monthly data allowance.