Waste heat from data centers for the Modell-Campus ringberlin

A pioneering energy project by GASAG Solution Plus launched today at the ringberlin model campus: In cooperation with DATA2HEAT, ringberlin will become one of the first business districts in Berlin to use waste heat from a directly neighboring data center in Marienpark Berlin for heating. In the first phase of implementation, the upcoming makerspace in Hall 2 on the ringberlin model campus will be supplied with this energy. Long-term plans call for supplying the entire campus. DATA2HEAT is a partnership between Investa and GASAG Solution Plus that harnesses heat from the data centers in Marienpark Berlin to heat surrounding buildings and neighborhoods.

With today’s launch, the ringberlin model campus and Marienpark Berlin are sending a joint message in support of innovative, sustainable urban development and cross-sector cooperation.

“The heating transition requires concrete projects that demonstrate how innovative technologies work in practice. DATA2HEAT is a prime example of how previously untapped energy potential can be harnessed and intelligently integrated into urban supply systems. Berlin needs such solutions to make our energy supply more sustainable, efficient, and future-proof,” emphasizes Dr. Severin Fischer, State Secretary in the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises. 

A key component of the first phase of the project is the development of the new makerspace in Hall 2. Covering around 17,000 square meters, it will be the largest makerspace in Europe—a hub for production, development, craftsmanship, the creative industries, and technological innovation. 

“With DATA2HEAT, we are implementing a key infrastructure project for the ringberlin model campus. It is an integral part of our vision for developing a resilient, climate-neutral urban hub of the future. Collaboration with the local community also plays an important role in this,” highlights Matthias Menger, Managing Director of KOIMO Project Development and ringberlin. “The makerspace in Hall 2 is just the beginning of a long-term neighborhood development.” 

By utilizing waste heat from data centers, this innovation hub will have a sustainable energy infrastructure in place from the very start. 

“The use of waste heat from data centers is a crucial component of a climate-neutral heat supply, especially in Berlin. GASAG Solution Plus has already demonstrated in other projects how this heat can be utilized efficiently and affordably. In cooperation with DATA2HEAT, we are intelligently connecting industrial energy sources in Mariendorf with the surrounding urban neighborhoods. Heat sources that are available locally will be indispensable for sustainable energy solutions,” says Georg Friedrichs, Chairman of the Board of GASAG AG. 

Collaboration between two innovation hubs

The project connects two innovative development areas in Berlin—the ringberlin model campus and Marienpark Berlin—and serves as a prime example of how new forms of collaboration can contribute to the decarbonization of urban neighborhoods. DATA2HEAT stands for the intelligent use of existing resources and makes a concrete contribution to the sustainable transformation of urban neighborhoods. 

“With DATA2HEAT, we are demonstrating the potential of integrating data centers into the urban energy ecosystem. We utilize existing waste heat where it is generated and make it immediately usable for a specific neighborhood. The project at the ringberlin model campus is an important milestone for us, demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of such solutions on an urban scale,” explains Nico Köllner, Managing Director of DATA2HEAT. 

For MotionLab.Berlin, the operator of the future makerspace on the ringberlin model campus, this innovative form of energy supply is also a top priority, as it fits perfectly into its concept, which focuses on the development of new, carbon-neutral products and processes. 

Highly efficient energy system 

Data centers continuously cool their servers to approximately 20 °C. This process generates waste heat, which is extracted from the cooling systems via heat exchangers and transferred to a new heat transfer medium, typically water. The water heated in this way currently reaches a temperature of around 28 degrees and is then usually transported via a low-temperature network to the buildings and neighborhoods that are to be supplied with heat. 

Within the buildings themselves or in central neighborhood facilities, heat pumps are used to raise the temperature to the level required for heating. The water is heated to the necessary temperature (often around 50 degrees) and then fed into the building’s heating system via a secondary circuit. Due to the comparatively high temperature of the data center waste heat, the heat pumps operate particularly efficiently: The COP (Coefficient of Performance) is approximately 7, meaning that one unit of electricity can generate about seven units of heat. The concept is designed as a comprehensive end-to-end system encompassing generation, treatment, transport, and utilization, thereby directly linking digital infrastructure with an urban, highly efficient energy supply. 

Hall 2 of the ringberlin model campus, a listed building, is currently being modernized and expanded in accordance with preserva on guidelines. With direct access to public transportation, e-mobility options, and car-sharing services, more than 5,000 people will be able to reach the campus in the future in a way that is as car-free and environmentally friendly as possible. 

With a total investment of more than 60 million euros for the ringberlin model campus, the State of Berlin, through the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises, is providing approximately 36 million euros in GRW funds to support the regional economic structure. These funds will directly benefit the construction of the subsidized sections of the startup center.


For more information on the region's economic development or support for businesses, investors, and research institutions, please contact:

Sandra Koletzki ​​​​​​ | sandra.koletzki(at)airport-region.de

(Source: ringberlin, 05|29|2026 | “Star ng signal at the ringberlin model campus: GASAG Group makes data center heat usable with DATA2HEAT”)