{
  "id": 13927579,
  "title": "Data centers produce heat year-round. Here’s how to save it for winter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/data-centers-produce-heat-year-round-heres-how-to-save-it-for-winter",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T09:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91621557/data-centers-heat-how-to-save-it-for-winter"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Data centers generate heat continuously throughout the year, but buildings require heating for only about four months in most parts of the United States. To address this mismatch, Epic Systems, a health software company, has utilized a unique approach by drilling numerous wells and storing excess heat from its data center in the ground during the summer months. This technique takes advantage of the earth's ability to retain heat, as it remains relatively stable at around 50°F (10°C) all year long. By pumping water heated by the servers deep underground, the heat is stored in the rock, which conducts heat poorly and retains it for extended periods. In winter, the stored heat is then retrieved through the same well system, warming the water which in turn supplies heat to the buildings through the facility's various systems. This method allows Epic and similar companies to save energy by utilizing the stored heat, rather than relying solely on traditional heating methods. The U.S. has an abundance of idle oil and gas wells that could potentially be repurposed for thermal storage, providing an opportunity to expand this technology at larger scales.",
  "summary": "You have probably noticed it on a hot summer day: A basement feels cool even when the air outside is baking. The ground does not heat up and cool down as fast as the air does. A few hundred feet down, it stays close to the local yearly average all year, which can be around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). In Verona, Wisconsin, the health software company Epic Systems has spent two decades…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}