How a computer's 'nerd power' could be used to heat your home

Computers, particularly the massive servers that undergird the internet, give off a ton of heat, so much that internet companies spend a good chunk of money on keeping them cool. But why let that heat go to waste?

That's the inspiration behind a heating system created by Dutch company Nerdalize, which wants to exploit the "nerd power" of computers for energy purposes, according to the BBC. Instead of keeping servers in a massive warehouse, they're spread out via fiber-optic cable to people's homes, where the computers are encased in iPod-like radiator casings. And voila: free heat (after a few set-up costs).

Nerdalize's pilot program will last a year, and it has some corporate clients, as well.

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Read the whole story at the BBC.