Optimizing Energy System Retrofitting in Urban Industrial Symbiosis

Strategic Insights -

A new study has introduced an optimization tool designed to assist energy system designers in selecting the most efficient heating options for retrofitting buildings, while also enabling decision-makers to understand the financial and environmental implications of various solutions. The research highlights the importance of building energy system retrofits in reducing global emissions and addresses the challenges of implementing such solutions. The study concludes that campus greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 95% through the shift from natural gas to excess heat recovered from a data center.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study emphasizes the need for building energy system retrofits in reducing global emissions, with a focus on urban industrial symbiosis.
  • The optimization tool designed in the study employs a series of mathematical models optimized sequentially to determine optimal design parameters, including system type, sizing, and heat recovery networks.
  • The validation of the methodology is provided through a case study in Montreal, Canada, focusing on retrofitting the heating system of a university campus building located near a data center.
  • Results indicate that campus greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 95% with only an 11% increase in annual costs compared to the current operation.
  • The shift from natural gas to excess heat recovered from the data center can meet 74% of the heating demand.
  • Sensitivity analyses are conducted to identify key parameters that can significantly impact financial outcomes.
  • The study addresses implementation considerations, helping stakeholders remain aware of potential limitations.
  • The research highlights the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and government in addressing the challenges of implementing energy-efficient solutions.
  • The study was funded by the Canada Research Chairs and the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Nature et technologies (FRQNT).

Statistics:

  • 95% reduction in campus greenhouse gas emissions through the shift from natural gas to excess heat recovered from the data center.
  • 11% increase in annual costs compared to the current operation.
  • 74% of heating demand met through the shift from natural gas to excess heat recovered from the data center.
  • 2025 - the year the research was conducted.
  • 335 - the Energy volume number where the research was published.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Concordia University Reports Findings in Data Centers (Optimization of Energy System Retrofitting In Urban Industrial Symbiosis: a Case Study of Heat Recovery From a Data Center). Information Technology Newsweekly. November 4, 2025; p 70.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Energy - www.journals.elsevier.com/energy/)