DESIGN & BUILD
Heat reuse is graduating from Nordic niche to mainstream design option. Capturing low-grade server heat for district networks or adjacent loads can materially improve wholesystem carbon outcomes and local acceptance. In Finland, Microsoft’ s new cluster is expected to provide roughly 40 % of Espoo’ s district heating when complete – an emblematic, grid-benefiting integration at city scale.
Building better Construction and fit-out is another crucial component of the“ green equation”. Embodied carbon from concrete, steel and MEP kit is now a board-level KPI. Operators are adopting low-carbon concrete, recycled steel, modular plant skids and circular fit-out practices.
One recent sustainability report from Prime Data Centers tracked 83 % average waste diversion on US construction sites in 2024 and committed to offsetting 120 % of operational water use via restoration certificates – evidence that build-phase metrics are being measured and managed in the industry.
Policy and disclosure are tightening. In Europe, heating and cooling efficiency requirements and wasteheat utilisation targets are sharpening investment cases for heat recovery and higher-temperature loops, while global investors increasingly expect credible pathways on energy, water, materials and biodiversity – reported with hard metrics( PUE, WUE, CFE scores) and verified annually.
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