As various cities, including Hamilton, address the challenges posed by the proliferation of data centres, concerns have emerged regarding the heat generated by such facilities. The tightly packed chips inside these structures, responsible for storing, processing, and disseminating digital data, produce significant amounts of heat. Depending on how data centres are cooled, this heat may be released into the surrounding environment.
Nonetheless, a professor at McMaster University suggests that if managed effectively, the heat produced by data centres, restaurants, power plants, and other edifices could serve as a valuable resource. James Cotton, from the mechanical engineering department, advocates for the reuse of waste heat, also known as energy harvesting, as a crucial decarbonization tactic that is likely to become increasingly prevalent, particularly in the context of data centres.
During a recent presentation to parliamentarians and policymakers in Ottawa, Cotton highlighted that a substantial portion of the energy consumed by buildings in Canada is allocated to space and water heating. He emphasized the potential to displace much of this heat, generated from electricity and natural gas, through the utilization of waste heat.
Energy harvesting involves capturing excess heat in a liquid form and transporting it to other sites where it can be utilized for heating water or spaces. Cotton, who co-directs the McMaster Institute for Energy Studies and heads Harvest Systems Inc., a venture stemming from his research at the university, focuses on repurposing heat generated by cooking appliances in restaurants.
Cotton has collaborated with s2e Technologies, the company proposing a data centre in Hamilton, and has a longstanding partnership with Hamilton Community Enterprises (HCE), supporting local industrial redevelopment initiatives that may involve data centres.
Despite the current regulatory pause on data centre development in Hamilton due to community concerns about the rapidly expanding sector, proponents of proposed data centres in the area express interest in harnessing the heat generated by these facilities for community-wide applications.
For instance, s2e plans to utilize waste heat from its proposed data centre to power neighboring heat pumps, presenting a potential research opportunity for Cotton’s team. Similarly, Slate Asset Management is exploring the integration of data centres into its waterfront development, Steelport, with the aim of repurposing the heat generated by these facilities for tenant use and potentially redirecting waste heat back to the downtown core.
Based on a study conducted by HCE in 2025, which found that reusing heat from industrial buildings in the Bayfront area is both technically feasible and commercially viable, there is a growing interest in energy harvesting initiatives that leverage waste heat.
Although the adoption of energy harvesting practices has been sluggish in Canada, Cotton emphasized the potential for its widespread implementation, particularly in Hamilton, to serve as a model for the nation. He underscored the feasibility of such initiatives and urged for proactive measures to make it a reality.