Cloud computing solutions aren’t just beneficial for businesses looking to save money on technology while benefiting from a fast, secure infrastructural computer system.

In fact, cloud computing solutions and hosting services could soon be heating your house.

According to a November 13 InformationWeek article, the racks on racks on racks of servers that cloud solution providers rely on to host cloud solutions for their customers also generate heat — and lots of it.

Reusing heat from these servers’ exhausts to heat the areas where people work and live isn’t a new idea, as it has been tried before in places like research labs. InformationWeek reports that the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory uses the heat from its servers to heat its water.

But when it comes to heating private residences with the heat that comes from cloud computing solutions’ servers, which are often located far away from any population centers, the idea becomes more difficult to put into practice.

To make this possible, InformationWeek reports, we need to stop thinking of cloud data centers as data centers and re-imagine them as multiple, smaller “furnaces” located closer to where people live in the U.S.

In Germany, this idea is already coming to life on a small scale with CloudandHeat Technologies, a company that installs its server cabinets in residences, offices and more as heaters for a fee. When the average German pays more than $83 per month on heating, CloudandHeat Technologies’ service offers major cost savings, according to InformationWeek.

As demand for more renewable energy sources continues to grow, the cloud computing industry may have the answer so many are looking for. Who knows — your house could be heated by a cloud server cabinet in just a few years’ time!

What do you think about the possibility of heat from cloud server racks keeping your own home warm? Share your thoughts on the matter with us in the comments below. Read more.