In the latest episode of In The Spotlight, Data Centre Review sits down with Shahid Rahman, EMEA Data Centre Strategic Account Lead (Engineered IT Cooling Solutions) at Mitsubishi Electric, to explore how the company’s HVAC know-how is helping data centre operators turn a traditional waste product — heat — into a valuable asset.
Mitsubishi Electric draws on more than 100 years of HVAC heritage and continues to invest heavily in product innovation. Rahman explains that the firm now offers a heat pump line spanning roughly 30-35 kW up to 1.1 MW per unit, opening the door to simultaneous heating-and-cooling systems that reclaim condenser-water heat instead of venting it to atmosphere.
During the 10-minute video interview, Rahman shares two live examples that prove the concept works in the real world:
South Dublin, Ireland – A 1.5km district heating loop already warms more than 32,000m² of public-sector space and is expanding to serve a further 133 apartments, trimming carbon emissions by around 1,500 tonnes a year.
Espoo, Finland – Two Mitsubishi Electric FOCS-2-W heat-pump modules boost outlet water to roughly 70°C, enabling a nearby data centre to supply heat to a network that now serves over 7,000 customers.
Closer to home, Rahman points to the UK’s October 2023 Energy Act – which brought heat networks under Ofgem regulation and unlocked £350 million of government funding – as a catalyst for similar projects around London and other capacity hotspots.
“Whether you’re planning a greenfield site or retro-fitting an existing plant,” he notes, “capturing waste heat is moving from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ – cutting boiler use, improving PUE and giving something back to the community.”
