We’ve all heard about the heat island effect around large cities. Concrete, buildings, and asphalt absorb solar radiation and then re-emit it to the air. It makes cities a few degrees warmer, particularly on sunny days. But the same effect happens around data centers too. Data centers often draw hundreds of megawatts of electricity, and it’s all turned into heat because of the First Law of Thermodynamics.
A study from the EPA suggests the heat island effect could extend up to 6 miles from a data center and that land surface temperature (different from the air temperature) is 1 to 7°F higher than in rural areas. These new microclimates could impact over 300 million people worldwide with higher heat-related illnesses and deaths directly from the heat and more insects. So, your next AI inquiry for a healthy dinner recipe might be causing others to sweat a bit more. – Steve Terry, DTC HVAC & Refrigeration Instructor
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