The New Gatekeepers of Data-Centre Value: Power, Water, and Heat

Artificial intelligence is transforming how industries operate, but the facilities that power it are transforming something else: how we measure real estate value. Data centres are expanding across Canada, consuming electricity at industrial scale, drawing millions of litres of water for cooling, and releasing heat that too often goes unused.

For building owners, facilities managers, and investors, these are not just environmental concerns. They are the new gatekeepers of whether a project secures financing, attracts tenants, and wins community support. In today’s market, a data centre is only as valuable as its strategy for managing power, water, and heat.

Power: Location Equals Carbon

The International Energy Agency projects that global electricity demand from data centres could double by 2030. AI workloads are the main driver, with high-performance servers running around the clock.

In Canada, location dictates carbon footprint. A facility in Québec can operate almost carbon-free on hydro power. The same facility in Alberta produces tens of thousands of tonnes of CO₂ annually. For investors and operators, the choice of site determines whether a centre is marketable as a green asset or flagged as a polluter.

Water: The Overlooked Constraint

Cooling is another critical factor. A 100-MW data centre can use up to 2 million litres of water a day. In drought-prone regions, those volumes create reputational and regulatory risks. AI compounds the issue, since both computing and electricity production indirectly consume water.

For Canada, the advantage lies in designing facilities that minimize or avoid fresh water use. Air and liquid cooling, immersion systems, and wastewater reuse can sharply reduce demand. The facilities that adopt these methods will avoid public pushback and stand out to sustainability-minded tenants.

Heat: Turning Waste into Value

Every watt that goes into a data centre comes out as heat. Left unmanaged, it is a liability. Recovered and reused, it becomes a community benefit.

Canadian examples already exist. In Markham, waste heat from a data centre warms nearby buildings through a district energy system. In Lévis, one operator is set up to redirect up to 96 MW of heat into agriculture and community uses. Across Europe, regulators are making heat recovery mandatory. Canada will not be far behind.

For owners, heat reuse is more than an efficiency measure — it is a reputational tool. Facilities that share energy with their communities can turn public skepticism into support.

Why These Three Decide Value

Energy, water, and heat are no longer secondary considerations. They are the factors lenders, tenants, and regulators now scrutinize before committing to a project. Efficiency drives operating costs. Water policies determine community acceptance. Heat recovery can make the difference between a neutral and a positive footprint.

Owners and investors who integrate these strategies early will position their assets as competitive, financeable, and future-proof. Those who ignore them risk stranded assets and reputational damage.

AI may be driving the demand, but power, water, and heat are deciding the winners. For Canada’s building owners and facilities leaders, the challenge is not just about expanding data-centre capacity. It is about building centres that can balance computing power with sustainability.

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At OptiBuild, we help clients navigate this balance. Our Smart Building Owner’s Roadmap provides a framework for evaluating how power, water, and heat strategies affect asset value — and how to design for long-term resilience.

Talk to us about aligning your facilities with the sustainability standards that now define success.