Amongst many interesting talks, Enerpower powered by Greenvolt discussed the innovative reuse of residual energy from the Data Centre on Airton Road. This energy is harnessed through a District Heating and cooling system that currently serves several South Dublin County Council (SDCC) public buildings - including a new housing block designed by COADY Architects for SDCC, with MDO Architects involved directly for the Council. Impressively, the system has the potential to serve over 5,000 homes!
 
The SDCC district heating scheme is a bold step forward, showcasing a creative approach to capturing and repurposing excess energy. It highlights how data centres can transform into net-positive contributors to the energy network. With their backup power systems, data centres are uniquely positioned to add to the grid and potentially provide some stability and enhanced energy reliability.
 
Addressing challenges on brownfield sites will be key, but the data centre sector has an incredible opportunity to integrate with local communities by making excess energy available—provided it raises the bar in design and implementation.