Green computer server heats homes for free

Netherlands-based Nerdalize is using the heat produced from computer servers to warm the homes they are installed in.

The most ecologically sound forms of green energy are those which would otherwise have been the waste product of another process. We have already seen start-up Bio-Bean turning used coffee beans into energy to power London’s coffee shops and LucidPipes harvesting green energy from Portland’s water pipes. Now, Netherlands-based Nerdalize is using the heat produced from computer servers to warm the homes they are installed in.

Today, large data-centres filled with servers require cooling isolations to handle the excess heat produced. Nerdalize offers a new solution which makes use of this waste product, by placing individual servers in people’s homes where the heat can be useful, rather than a problem.

Homeowners can lease the two-in-one heater/server from Nerdalize, who cover the electricity costs of the device. The multiple servers create The Nerdalize Cloud, a sustainable and affordable computer platform, without the overheads of a traditional data-centre. Businesses can then buy the computing power they need from Nerdalize, saving between 30 and 55 percent on costs. The same energy is effectively used twice, saving all parties money and creating a much more environmentally friendly infrastructure.

Nerdalize have just launched the eRadiator in collaboration with Eneco. Businesses and homeowners can register their interest online and they will be informed when the service expands into their area. Could this set-up work in other countries too?