Heat from a data center in a former military bunker will power the local swimming pool in the Swiss town of Uitikion.
IBM, who has designed the center for hosting firm GIB-Services, said the project was the first direct heat exchange place between a data center and a public swimming pool.
The new data center, near Zurich, is a highly secure data storage facility expected to create 2,800 MWh of wasted heat per year at full capacity. The same amount of energy could supply up to 80 houses with heating and warm water for one year, IBM said.
'Theoretically it is possible to reuse up to 90% of the electric power required for the operation of the data center as heat energy,' said Steve Sams, vice president of IBM global site and facilities services.
Through reclaiming the heat, approximately 130 tons of carbon emissions can be saved.
The data center opened in the first quarter of 2008. The heat exchange with the swimming pool will take place in the next few months, IBM said.