RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
THUNDER
It is the European R&D project we are working on together with other important Italian and international partners, aimed at recovering waste heat from large Data Centers.
OUR COMMITMENT
Recovery and storage of waste heat from Data Centers
Thunder is a project co-funded by the European Commission within the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.
The goal is to develop a system capable of storing the waste heat from a large Data Center located in Varna, Bulgaria, during the summer, and releasing it in winter for use within the surrounding urban area.
DATA CENTER
It is estimated that Data Centers worldwide account for about 2% of electricity consumption, and by 2030 this will reach 3.2% of total electricity demand. Most of this energy is used for cooling systems, which are essential for their proper operation given the large amount of waste heat generated — heat that is currently dispersed but actually represents a highly valuable resource.
OUR SYSTEM
The Seasonal Thermal Storage is an advanced storage system based on thermochemical materials (TCM) selected to increase storage capacity through heat transfer processes with thermal losses close to zero. It relies on an innovative storage technology based on chemical reactions and absorption processes, providing an efficient and compact solution capable of exploiting waste and low-grade heat flows from Data Centers.
ADVANTAGES
The Seasonal Thermal Storage aims to store heat for a long period (up to 6 months) with minimal energy loss. This seasonal thermal storage will finally make it possible to harness the large amount of waste heat produced by Data Centers, making it available when it is most needed, such as during the winter months, thereby reducing emissions, heating costs, and the use of fossil fuel sources. Waste heat could be used to meet the heating needs of approximately 2.5% of the European building stock.
