HPE & Danfoss partner on sustainable data centre heat recovery

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Danfoss have announced a collaborative effort to introduce HPE IT Sustainability Services Data Centre Heat Recovery, a heat recovery module aimed at managing and valuing excess heat in organisations transitioning towards sustainable IT facilities. The initiative aims to curb energy consumption in data centres and reuse excess heat, as artificial intelligence (AI) and other compute-intensive workloads increase the demand for power.

The International Energy Agency reports that the AI industry’s electricity demand is expected to grow significantly by 2026. With this in mind, IT leaders and data centre operators are increasingly focusing on power-efficient solutions and improved cooling systems. Excess heat from data centres in the EU alone accounts for an estimated 2,860 TWh annually, nearly equivalent to the total energy demand for heat and hot water in residential and service sector buildings.

The energy-efficient data centre solution offered by HPE and Danfoss aims to mitigate these challenges. HPE's scalable Modular Data Centre (MDC) features high-density containers that can be deployed in various locations and employs direct liquid cooling technology, reducing overall energy consumption by 20%. Danfoss contributes innovative solutions, including heat reuse modules that capture excess heat and repurpose it for heating in nearby buildings and industries. The inclusion of Turbocor oil-free compressors enhances data centre cooling efficiency by up to 30%.

"Our strategic partnership with HPE is a great example of how we revolutionise building and decarbonising the data centre industry together with customers," said Jørgen Fischer, President of Danfoss Climate Solutions. "With this latest cross-industry partnership we're building the blueprint for the next generation of sustainable data centres using technologies available today."

HPE’s MDC employs direct liquid cooling technologies, enhancing energy efficiency by more than 20% and optimising energy distribution. The compact design of the MDC minimises energy loss and maximises the temperature differential, promoting efficient heat capture. Additionally, the MDC’s agility allows for quicker deployment—potentially reducing the time to market from 18 months to just six months. The reduced land footprint and proximity to data generation sites also lessen the energy impact associated with data transfer and improve data governance.

"At HPE, we believe in the power of collaboration to create transformative solutions," said Sue Preston, Vice President & General Manager of WW Advisory & Professional Services & Managed Services at HPE. "Our partnership with Danfoss brings together HPE’s innovative modular data centre with Danfoss' groundbreaking heat reuse technology. Together, we are not just adding value; we are multiplying it."

HPE’s modular data centres offer a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.1, compared to a PUE of 1.3 to 1.4 in traditional brick-and-mortar data centres. The design is capable of handling power-demanding architectures, such as HPE Cray Supercomputing EX4000, making it suitable for supercomputing and generative AI applications.

To leverage excess heat—a significant yet untapped energy source—HPE has enlisted Danfoss as its decarbonisation partner. Danfoss is already applying heat reuse technology at its headquarters in Denmark, where recovered heat provides space heating for surrounding buildings and can feed into the local district heating network. This heat reuse strategy has helped Danfoss achieve carbon neutrality for its 250,000 m² campus in Nordborg in 2022.

HPE IT Sustainability Services Data Centre Heat Recovery integrates Danfoss technologies, including Turbocor compressors, heat exchangers, and heat reuse modules. This modular solution allows data centres to be cooled up to 30% more efficiently while reusing excess heat. The offering includes two technological options with a heat recovery system: one for air-cooled edge-to-cloud modular data centres and another potentially for a liquid-cooled HPC modular data centre.

Additionally, HPE and Danfoss are collaborating on HPE Asset Upcycling Services to facilitate the retirement and refurbishment of end-of-use IT assets as part of a circular economy.