[martin_bech]

A distributed version of this will take place in Denmark, once Apples new datacenter is online. We have a distributed heating network in denmark, where excess heat is "sent" to homes connected with "fjernvarme" translated "remote heat". This new datacenter will dump its heat into the existing heating network and will heat x homes in the neighborhod.

[mmcwilliams]

I think this is a much more sensible and useful implementation, where the computation happens in a centralized location but the heat energy gets distributed. The linked solution requires CPUs to be distributed for the the heat energy to go with them. As many other commenters post, this creates many questions about data security.

[Anansie]

That system is not distributed, the system is centralized and the heat is distributed. We are a completely distributed system. This brings numerous economical advantages in terms of total investment required to roll out or scale up. We believe our way is superior to a heat network. Nonetheless the fact that the heat is reused can only be applauded.

[easytiger]

New York has had a consolidated heating system for over a century

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_steam_system

[throwawayish]

> fjernvarme

We Germans have that, too - Fernwärme :)