Hundreds of megawatts of heat from Ireland’s other 82 or so data centres is wasted annually by being simply vented. Photograph: AJ Mast/The New York Times
Heat pumps are engineering marvels. While not a renewable energy source in their own right – they do not convert solar or wind power to usable energy – heat pumps are ideal companions to renewables. They allow electricity to be used efficiently to generate heat.
Most heating systems we’re familiar with involve burning fuels in boilers, ranges and open fires, but heat pumps work by using electricity to move heat from one place to another. The fan unit draws in the air, extracts the heat from it by passing it through a refrigerant and compressor unit and delivering three to four free units of heat for every unit of electricity used
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