Computer server heat to keep Edinburgh students warm

Under the Edinburgh University plans, the pipes which currently extract warm air from the server cabinets will remain in place, meaning little disruption to the university estate.

But the new heat pump will extract warmth from the piped air and use it to heat separate pipes which go to radiators and under-floor heating around the university.

Vice principal Catherine Martin said the server rooms created waste energy which they aimed to capture.

But many of the university’s properties have listed building status and will take significant investment in measures such as insulation to make the heat pump systems work.

“We’ve got a large and complex estate at the university – 550 buildings, each with its own challenges,” Ms Martin said.