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Data centers make heat all year long – here’s how the ground can hold onto it until winter

<name>Moones Alamooti, Assistant Professor of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota</name> <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="https://theconversation.com/profiles/moones-alamooti-2480046"/>· 9 octobre 2026

A drilling rig bores a well for a geothermal heating and cooling system. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images 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 doe…

Résumé

Ground stores heat naturally

The ground absorbs and releases heat much more slowly than air.

At depths of a few hundred feet, the temperature remains stable year-round, close to the local yearly average.

For example, in Verona, Wisconsin, the ground stays around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) all year.

This property is why basements often feel cool even on hot summer days.

The ground’s ability to retain heat at a steady temperature makes it useful for storing excess heat generated by activities like running data centers, which produce heat continuously throughout the year.

Unlike air, which heats up and cools down quickly, the ground acts as a natural thermal battery, keeping warmth available for later use.

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