Computers have become such an ingrained part of our lifestyles that we may soon be able to heat our homes while we’re liking a post on Facebook or sending emails to clients. We’re constantly on our computer or tablets sending data to be processed in the cloud and all of this data processing creates an inordinate amount of heat – enough heat to fight off those winter chills.

From this thought, Project Exergy was born

While still in its early stages of prototyping, Project Exergy has created a heating unit that also houses a computer processor that works like a server crunching and processing data. Their first prototype has been dubbed Henry –  a high-performance prototype computer that captures and thermally stores the heat it generates. The prototype has created enough heat to keep a 1000 square foot apartment warm and cozy while he crunches data to help support cancer researchers at Stanford’s Folding Home project.

The idea of the Project Exergy is simple. As you use your computer as a data-processing plant, the heat is collected and used to warm your house. In the future, this system could soon be used in your fridge, stove and all appliances that are sources of wasted heat. Project Exergy’s vision is to turn wasted heat into a valuable resource that has the potential to render your utilities useless. Learn more about this KickStarter project here.

Does the idea of heating your home with cloud data interest you? Let me know what you think! Use the comment section below or on Twitter @SignatureMark.