Energy Landscape of Virginia Episode 10 | Harvesting Excess Heat from Data Centers for Energy – District Energy Systems

Energy Landscape of Virginia Episode 10 | Harvesting Excess Heat from Data Centers for Energy – District Energy Systems

District Energy Systems are a proven engineering solution that conveys heat between suppliers and users, between or among buildings. Excess heat generated by the multitude of data centers located Virginia provides an opportunity to supply heat to adjoining uses, thereby reducing overall energy consumption within what is known as a District Energy System. Joe Lerch talks with Executive Director Bob Lazaro  and Senior Regional Planner Dale Medearis with Northern Virginia Regional Commission, about their longstanding work on promoting the use of District Energy Systems as part of an overall energy savings and efficiency strategy for the region. We’ll learn how leaders in the data center industry are making this happen, and what local governments can do to facilitate the use of excess heat from their operations.

Where to find out more about topics covered in this episode

• District Energy Supported by Excess Heat from Data Centers – NVRC Site Visit Markham, Canada
• District Energy and the Potential for Applications in Northern Virginia – NVRC webinar/October 22, 2024
• NVRC Resilience Hub
• Data Center Proximity to Public Facilities (interactive map)
• District Energy Systems: An Analysis of Virginia Law