Zeolite based thermal energy storage to leverage industrial waste heat for data center cooling

Data centers (DCs) represent a rapidly growing segment of electricity demand, with a substantial share of their consumption attributed to cooling needs. We propose a zeolite-based thermal energy storage (TES) system that harnesses low-grade waste heat (<200 °C) from nearby industrial facilities to provide cooling for DCs. The system operates through spatially and temporally decoupled adsorption (discharging) and desorption (charging) steps: (a) industrial waste heat drives zeolite desorption, and (b) DC heat rejection facilitates water evaporation, enabling zeolite adsorption. Computational modeling of the thermodynamic cycle quantifies the electricity and water implications of the concept, showing (a) electricity savings exceeding 75% for the combined DC + industrial facility (~86% for the DC alone) relative to a benchmark configuration using a compression chiller and cooling tower, and (b) a modest increase in water consumption for the combined facility (14.8 – 23.9%), despite a reduction of 76.5 – 90.1% % in the industrial facility’s standalone water use. Geospatial analysis of existing DC and industrial facility locations shows that the two are typically in close proximity (median distance of 57 km). As a result, even when transportation energy requirements are considered, via an electrified truck, system-wide electricity savings could be notable in many scenarios (as high +45%). We discuss engineering design considerations, alternative deployment configurations, as well as geographic and coordination requirements for their widespread adoption.