Turning Waste into Value: MODERATOR’s approach to Heat Recovery in Data Centres

The MODERATOR project is taking part in the 2Cool2Waste initiative to showcase scalable solutions for energy efficiency and circularity in industry. In this presentation — delivered during the first 2Cool2Waste webinar “Boosting Energy Efficiency in Industry – Proven Solutions & Real Business Cases” — our Project Coordinator, Dr. Dimitris Koutsonikolas (CERTH), presents how MODERATOR transforms data centres from energy consumers into energy contributors.

Key takeaways:

• Why data centres generate vast amounts of unused waste heat

• How immersion cooling increases efficiency and produces recoverable heat

• The role of phase change materials and advanced insulation in long-duration heat storage

• Real use cases for reusing heat: district heating, greenhouses, industry and more

Heat Recovery, Storage & Re-use in Data Centers: The MODERATOR approach

The MODERATOR project participated in the 12th Swiss Symposium on Thermal Energy Storage, hosted by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). In this presentation, Dr. Dimitris Koutsonikolas (CERTH) introduced “Heat Recovery, Storage and Re-Use in Data Centres: The MODERATOR Approach”, showcasing how immersion cooling, phase change materials, and advanced insulation systems can reduce energy waste and recover heat for reuse.

Key takeaways:

• Immersion cooling as a high-efficiency alternative to traditional systems

• Reuse of data centre waste heat for buildings, greenhouses, and industry

• Scalable, modular energy storage design for real-world applications