German-Japanese researchers invent electricity-free tech that could cool datacenters
A joint German-Japanese study from KIT and the University of Tsukuba shows a promising path to cheaper, greener datacenter cooling. Their solid-state elastocaloric system uses nickel-titanium foils that convert heat into mechanical energy without electricity, driving a second foil to trigger cooling. In lab tests, they achieved a 12.9 K temperature span at the refrigerant film and 4.0 K at the device level under Joule-heated actuation, with a 2.2 K span at 130°C heat input. This electricity-free approach could slash energy and water use in cooling, a major hot spot for global emissions. The team envisions scaling up to larger units that exploit waste heat from devices like servers, moving toward compact, sustainable cooling that leverages abundant heat sources. If scalable, this technology could meaningfully reduce the tech sector’s carbon footprint while addressing growing energy demands and water use for cooling.