A new study from the University of Cambridge has found that waste heat from data centers can significantly increase local temperatures, with some areas experiencing temperature rises of up to 9 degrees Celsius. According to the research, the average temperature increase around data centers is approximately 2 degrees. The heat effect is not limited to the buildings themselves but can impact areas as far as one mile away.
Researchers estimate that over 340 million people globally are already affected by local warming caused by digital infrastructure. The Cambridge team is calling for new regulations that would require data center operators to report their direct heat impact. They also recommend using waste heat for district heating systems, a practice already implemented in some European cities, and avoiding construction of large data centers near densely populated areas or sensitive environments.