Industry Use Cases & Technical FAQ
Explore how energy utilities, data center developers, and industrial engineering consultants use the Waste Heat ROI Simulator to structure heat offtake agreements (PPAs), comply with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), and evaluate capital investments.
⚡ Urban Edge Facility
Co-located near commercial building clusters, hospitals, or university campuses. Supplies 65–75 °C water into a local 4th-generation low-temperature district heating network or large building heating loop.
🏢 Regional Colocation Hub
Medium-scale colocation or AI cluster connected directly to a municipal district heating trunk line. Utilizes multi-stage centrifugal heat pumps to achieve 85–95 °C delivery temperatures.
🌐 Hyperscale AI Campus
Direct-to-chip liquid-cooled AI/HPC campus rejecting higher-grade waste heat (45–55 °C). High source temperature reduces required temperature lift, enabling superior COP and economies of scale.
Technical & Financial FAQ
1. Does this simulator complies with EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) Article 26 assessments?
Yes. Under the revised EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EU/2023/1791), data centers with a total rated energy input exceeding 1 MW must conduct a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for waste heat utilization based on NPV, IRR, and payback period. The simulator outputs these exact financial metrics along with a board-ready PDF report for early-stage screening.
2. Who typically pays for the CAPEX — the data center operator or the district heating utility?
Commercial structures vary by project. In Nordic and DACH markets, the district heating utility often invests in the heat pump station (located at the site boundary) and receives the low-grade waste heat free of charge or at a nominal tariff. Alternatively, in an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) or Joint Venture model, the data center operator co-invests in the heat pump plant and sells high-grade heat under a 10–15 year Heat Purchase Agreement (HPA). You can model both perspectives by adjusting the CAPEX and Heat Offtake Price parameters.
3. Why is the total supplied heat (MWh) larger than the recoverable IT waste heat?
By energy conservation, the electrical energy consumed by the heat pump compressor does not disappear—it is converted into high-grade thermal energy and added to the waste heat stream in the condenser. For example, at a 5.0 MW IT load and a COP of 3.2, the compressor consumes 2.27 MW of electricity, delivering a combined 7.27 MW of thermal power to the heating network.
4. Can I use this tool for non-data center industrial processes?
Absolutely. The thermodynamic model applies identically to green hydrogen electrolyzer cooling loops, industrial refrigeration condensers, wastewater treatment plants, and pulp/paper mill effluent heat recovery. Simply input the recoverable thermal power (MW) in the first parameter field.
5. How do B2B licensing, VAT reverse charge, and subscription cancellations work?
Online payments are processed globally via our Merchant of Record, Paddle.com. During checkout, business customers can enter their VAT / Tax ID to automatically apply EU reverse-charge (0% VAT) where applicable. You can manage or cancel recurring renewals anytime with one click via the Customer Portal link in your account dashboard, or request a manual corporate invoice for 12-month enterprise licenses.