Data centre used to heat 25-metre swimming pool in UK

In Devon, UK, a public swimming pool is utilising the heat produced by a nearby data centre to reduce its increasing expenses. 

The computers within the centre are surrounded by oil that captures the heat generated by the machines. This heat is then transferred into a heat exchanger, used to warm the water in the pool, located at Exmouth Leisure Centre. 

The pool's temperature can, therefore, reach up to 30C approximately 60% of the time.  The council-run pool is receiving this energy at no cost from the data centre. 

How the data centre is supporting the industry

Due to rising energy costs, 65 leisure centres have closed in the UK since 2019, and more pools may be at risk. Deep Green, a start-up led by Mark Bjornsgaard, is the operator of the data centre, which powers artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Bjornsgaard has also stated that Deep Green will refund the leisure centre's electricity costs for running the "digital boiler", encouraging seven other pools across the country to sign up for the scheme.

The leisure centre's manager, Sean Day, predicted its energy bill would rise by £100,000 this year.

"The partnership has really helped us reduce the costs of what has been astronomical over the last 12 months – our energy prices and gas prices have gone through the roof," Day said. "Looking at different ways of how we can save money as an organisation has been awesome."

Peter Gilpin, CEO of LED Community Leisure, which runs Exmouth Leisure Centre, added: “Deep Green’s innovative technology will dramatically reduce our energy bills and carbon footprint, meaning we will continue to be a key asset for the local community. We are already seeing the benefit.  I’m certain this will transform leisure centres up and down the country for the better.”