SLOUGH — A new preprint study led by Cambridge University researchers indicates that datacentre facilities in Slough may increase localized temperatures by an average of 2°C, with some areas experiencing an increase of up to 9°C. Slough, located 10 miles west of Heathrow, hosts an estimated 30 to 40 datacentre facilities, many of which are situated on a central campus.

The research suggests these datacentres contribute to a heat island effect. The heat produced by these facilities is a result of cooling systems necessary for sensitive electronics, including artificial intelligence chips. Andrea Marinoni, an associate professor at Cambridge and one of the paper's authors, stated that the research controlled for factors such as urbanization and the climate crisis, utilizing decades of satellite data.

"Slough is almost like an experiment by itself in the sense that the new investments in datacentres are bringing to life a new generation of datacentres," Marinoni said. He added, "What we measured were what we can call the first generation of datacentres that were the ones that were implemented in the last 20 years." The paper also referenced datacentre complexes in Brazil and Spain.

Slough is reported to have approximately a gigawatt of datacentre capacity. Companies like Equinix and Digital Realty own and maintain facilities there, which serve clients including Amazon, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft.

Recent temperature readings in the area show variations. A weather station closest to the Slough tech park recorded a high temperature of 36.7°C on Wednesday and 36.5°C the day prior. Another weather station in the center of Slough, farther from the tech park, registered 36.2°C on Wednesday and 34.7°C on the preceding day.

Nabeel Nawaz, a store manager in central Slough, described the heat as similar to "something 'pinching your body and burning your skin'." However, Nawaz also noted, "I think it's only 10% to 15% of why things are hotter. Most of it is climate change." Local resident Naveed Hussein observed that temperatures are rising. "It's getting hotter," Hussein said. "People are questioning, why is it so hot?" He also stated, "My computer gives off a lot of heat. So does my phone. So I have to imagine that the big datacentres do as well."