The nLighten data centre in Stuttgart is set to utilise its excess server heat to supply heat to municipal facilities, including it.schule and DEKRA buildings in the Möhringen district.
In partnership with Wärmelösungen Synergiepark Stuttgart — a joint venture between Stadtwerke Stuttgart GmbH and e-con AG — nLighten is participating in a project to expand the Synergiepark Stuttgart heating network. The project is backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and is expected to go live later this year.
The project involves capturing excess heat from the data centre and transferring it via a closed-loop water system to Synergiepark Stuttgart, where it is processed and distributed for heating. Data centre operations use renewable electricity, and the reuse of excess heat forms part of the broader energy approach.
Synergiepark Stuttgart is designed to deliver up to 1.8 megawatts of heat output to its clients through its heating network.
The heat reuse initiative forms part of efforts to integrate data centre infrastructure with local energy systems. By aligning with municipal and private sector partners, the project supports ongoing developments related to energy efficiency and district heating expansion in Stuttgart, which has set climate-related targets including carbon neutrality by 2035.
Projects such as this demonstrate how excess heat from digital infrastructure can be incorporated into existing heating networks, contributing to broader energy transition objectives.
