Cases Confirmed Where Heat Emitted by Data Centers Makes Downwind Residential Areas Hotter

An Arizona State University team measured temperatures around four Phoenix-area data centers using vehicle-mounted sensors.

Homes downwind of the facilities were 0.7–0.9°C hotter than upwind areas, with some cases reaching a 2.2°C increase.

The findings suggest waste heat from AI and cloud data centers can worsen neighborhood heat and cooling demand.

The results could influence site selection, cooling design, and urban policy for future data center development.