Data center operators are getting serious about waste heat, and more specifically what to do with it.

While the solution for many is to pump it back into nearby district heating systems, other companies are getting more creative and using warmth from servers to heat aquafarms and greenhouses.

European operator Data4 has joined a project that aims to demonstrate that waste heat from its data center can help to grow algae, which could in turn be used as biofuel.

In the latest episode of Zero Downtime, the DCD podcast, Linda Lescuyer, Data4’s innovation manager, speaks to DCD features editor Matthew Gooding about how the project is taking shape, the company's experience working with partners across industry and academia, and how thinking outside the box can reap sustainability rewards.