Converting waste heat into electricity

OsmoTech is developing an innovative technology that converts low-temperature heat into electricity. Industries release a lot of waste heat into the environment. In data centers, servers release a large quantity of heat that has to be eliminated to ensure a long lifetime for IT equipment. As a consequence, data centers face a situation where 30% of their energy consumption is used to cool the heat they produce. Data centers worldwide have a carbon footprint similar to the aviation industry.

OsmoTech will provide data centers and other industries (such as chemical plants or incinerators) a profitable and sustainable solution to recycle their waste heat to generate electricity at high power capacity. OsmoTech will operate at very low temperatures (below 100°C) compared to other technologies. In the long term, we want to exploit the multiple and commonly available natural (such as geothermal or solar) and man-produced heat sources to produce green electricity.

The team leader of OsmoTech, Elodie Dahan, has already won the Helbling Innogrant 2012 for her project.

The Jury of >>venture>> says about OsmoTech: “OsmoTech meets current trend of increasing energy efficiency via recycling waste heat – there is high revenue potential as the technology requires a lot of service. This promises opportunities for additional income. Additionally, the business model has the support of a very strong team. A sustainable competitive advantage is likely if the technology can be patent protected.”