Data Centre Heat Pumps
Clade designs and delivers heat pump solutions that enable data centres to recover waste heat and convert it into a reliable, low-carbon heat source. By integrating high-capacity heat pumps into data centre cooling systems, we help transform unavoidable operational heat into a valuable asset for on-site use, neighbouring buildings or wider heat networks.
These solutions improve overall system efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and support long-term decarbonisation strategies, while maintaining the performance and resilience required in mission-critical data centre environments.
What Are Data Centre Heat Pumps?
Data centre heat pumps are purpose-designed systems that recover thermal energy from data centre cooling circuits and raise it to temperatures suitable for reuse. They are most commonly configured as water-to-water heat pumps or heat pump chillers integrated directly into the cooling infrastructure.
The recovered heat typically originates from return water temperatures of around 30°C to 35°C. Using electrically driven compressors, the heat pump increases this to temperatures that can support space heating, domestic hot water production, or connection to local heat networks.
Benefits of Using Heat Pumps for Data Centres
Heat pumps offer offices a practical route to low-carbon, cost-effective heating without compromising comfort. Designed to align with modern workplace demands, they deliver efficiency, flexibility and long-term resilience across a wide range of commercial environments.
- Lower carbon impact: Significantly reduced operational emissions compared with gas and electric heaters, helping offices decarbonise heating while future-proofing against tightening environmental regulation.
- Reduced energy costs: High-efficiency heat transfer delivers more usable heat per unit of electricity, lowering running costs and improving energy performance across daily and seasonal office usage.
- Consistent thermal comfort: Precisely controlled heating output can be matched to occupancy patterns, zoning requirements, and peak demand periods to maintain stable, comfortable internal temperatures.
- Net zero alignment: Supports corporate sustainability strategies and net zero targets by enabling a clear shift away from fossil fuel heating within commercial property portfolios.
- Design flexibility: Suitable for both new office developments and retrofit projects, with system configurations that adapt to building constraints, layouts, and existing infrastructure.
- End-to-end delivery: Engineering expertise covering system design, installation, commissioning, and handover ensures performance, compliance, and long-term operational reliability.
How Do Heat Pumps for Data Centres Work?
IT equipment generates continuous heat during operation, which must be removed to maintain performance and reliability. This heat is transferred into a cooling medium, such as chilled water or liquid cooling circuits.
A heat pump extracts energy from the return cooling water and compresses the refrigerant to raise its temperature. The upgraded heat is then transferred to a separate heating circuit, while the cooled water is returned to the data centre cooling loop.
Where liquid cooling is used, higher source temperatures may be available, improving heat pump efficiency and reducing the level of temperature uplift required.
Data Centre Heat Pumps vs Traditional Heating
Conventional data centre cooling systems typically reject waste heat while heating demand elsewhere is met using boilers. Heat pumps enable these two energy demands to be linked, allowing recovered heat to be reused rather than lost.
Compared with traditional gas-fired heating, heat pumps deliver significantly higher efficiencies and lower emissions. When supplied with low-carbon electricity, they provide a future-ready solution aligned with UK decarbonisation targets and heat network strategies.
HEAT PUMP SERVICES FOR DATA CENTRES
Founded in 1985, Clade Engineering Systems has years of experience in everything heat pumps related from research and development, through design and installation, to aftercare and maintenance. Our Customers benefits from the peace of mind of knowing that Clade will be there to help every step of the way.
FAQs About Data Centre Heat Pumps
Yes. Heat pumps can be integrated into live data centres, provided systems are carefully designed and installed to maintain cooling resilience and operational continuity. Phased installation and appropriate redundancy are key considerations.
Typical return cooling water temperatures are in the range of 30°C to 35°C, although higher temperatures may be available in liquid-cooled environments. Heat pumps are used to upgrade this heat to temperatures suitable for heating applications.
Recovered heat can be used on site for space heating or hot water, exported to neighbouring buildings, or supplied to district heat networks where a suitable connection and heat demand exist.
When correctly designed, heat pumps support the cooling process by removing heat from the system. They should not compromise cooling performance or resilience.
Yes. Heat pumps can be incorporated into both new-build and existing data centres, although retrofit projects require careful assessment of existing cooling systems and available heat demand.
By recovering and reusing waste heat, heat pumps can improve overall site energy efficiency and contribute positively to sustainability and carbon reporting metrics.
CONTACT US
Speak with our team of experts and discuss your requirements. Complete this quick form and we will be in touch or contact us using:
Bristol & Bath Science Park
Dirac Crescent, Emersons Green
Bristol, BS16 7FR