Thermal energy optimisation and waste heat recovery of high energy demand IT rooms in buildings or small edge data centres

Worum geht es in dieser Ausschreibung?

The call funds demonstrations of thermal management and waste heat recovery in IT rooms and small edge data centres of 100-500 kW, together with business cases for reusing the recovered heat.

Was fördert diese Ausschreibung?

Scope

This Horizon Innovation Action targets existing IT rooms in buildings and small edge data centres in the range of 100-500 kW, which are not covered by the recast Energy Efficiency Directive.

Expected activities

• Demonstrate holistic, cost-effective thermal management and excess heat recovery and reuse at the site or nearby, optionally including heat storage and/or heat upgrading.
• Take account of the building envelope, for example through simulation or digital twins, and integrate with building automation, control and management systems to support self-assessment, self-optimisation and new energy services.
• Locate demonstrators in both a cold-climate and a warm-climate Member State or Associated Country.
• Develop business cases for heat recovery and reuse, for example for heating or water in the building, in local district heating and cooling networks or at other nearby sites.

Expected outcomes

Better open access to performance data and sharing of best practice for owners and operators of IT infrastructure and for the IT and building sectors, and new designs of IT rooms and small edge data centres that make use of waste heat. Projects are encouraged to build synergies with a related Cluster 4 topic on energy-efficient AI data processing in data centres. Activities are expected to reach TRL 6-7 by the end of the project.

Was wird von den Vorschlägen erwartet?

• Proposals should address all listed requirements.

Wann endet die Einreichungsfrist?

15. September 2027 (313 Tage)

15 September 2027 (single-stage submission). Planned opening date: 5 May 2027.