Excess Heat Reuse in Icelandic Data Centers

This thesis investigates the potential for excess heat reuse from the atNorth ICE02 data center campus in Reykjanesbær, Iceland. The study focuses on quantifying the magnitude, temperature level, and variability of the available heat resource, as well as evaluating its technical and economic feasibility for external utilisation. The analysis is based on operational data collected from four data center buildings (M11–M13 and M21) over a six-month period from September 2025 to March 2026. Measured electrical load data and cooling system temperatures were analysed to characterise the available heat resource. The results show that the data center campus provides a ubstantial and continuous source of low-grade excess heat. The electrical load analysis demonstrates significant heat generation and relatively stable thermal behaviour over time. An economic scenario analysis was performed for a future nine-building campus configuration using worst-case, base-case, and best-case assumptions. The results indicate that the useful heat potential ranges from approximately 139 GWh/year to 314 GWh/year depending on operational conditions and utilisation levels. Due to the relatively low temperature level of the heat source, heat pumps are required to upgrade the heat to a useful supply temperature for external applications. The economic analysis demonstrates that project feasibility is highly sensitive to heat price, electricity price, heat pump performance, and investment cost. Under favourable operating conditions, the results indicate that large-scale heat recovery may become economically viable. However, the Icelandic energy context presents challenges for implementation, since district heating is already largely supplied by low-cost geothermal energy, reducing the market value of recovered heat. Overall, the results demonstrate that data centers can represent technically viable local heat sources with significant energy recovery potential. However, the practical feasibility of large-scale heat reuse depends strongly on local infrastructure, economic conditions, and the integration of suitable heat users. Keywords: data centers, excess heat, heat recovery, heat pumps, district heating, cooling systems, feasibility.

Author dc:creator

• Hjörleifur Hafstað Arnórsson 2000-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Vélaverkfræði
• Meistaraprófsritgerðir
• Gagnaver
• Varmafræði
• Varmadælur
• Kælitækni
• Mechanical engineering
• Data centers
• Thermodynamics
• Heat pumps
• Cooling systems

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1946/53865

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/53865