Phoenix study finds data centers raise downwind home temperatures 2.2°C
Turns out, big data centers aren't just powering the internet. They're also warming up nearby homes.
A new study in Arizona's Phoenix area found that houses downwind of these facilities were up to 2.2 degrees Celsius hotter than others, thanks to cooling systems that blast out air much warmer than the outdoors.
Data center waste heat exceeds sunlight
These centers give off a ton of heat: one in Mesa produced as much waste heat as 40,000 homes use in electricity, while another in Chandler produced heat equal to more than 180,000 homes.
That heat is two to six times stronger than midday sunlight.
With US data center capacity expected to more than double by 2030, researchers warn this could make urban areas even hotter.
Lead author David Sailor says data centers are vital but their impact on local communities can't be ignored.