Energy-hungry AI data centers spur new power transformer technology

The escalating electricity demand from energy-hungry AI data centers is straining US power grids, prompting accelerated investment in solid-state power transformers. This technology serves as a modern replacement for conventional, industrial-era transformers, which are custom-built, prone to manufacturing delays, and hinder power grid upgrades.

Solid-state transformers use high-frequency semiconductor switching for voltage conversions, enabling mass manufacturing with materials like silicon carbide. These devices are smaller, lighter, and modular, capable of directly converting AC grid power to the DC power required by AI data centers, thereby simplifying infrastructure. Professor Srdjan Lukic of North Carolina State University emphasized their role as a "killer application" for data centers, streamlining control and reducing infrastructure.

Several US companies, including Amperesand, Heron Power, and DG Matrix, have collectively secured over $280 million to commercialize this technology. It also promises to reduce the need for copper and other materials, and allows for smaller physical footprints for data center projects.

A demonstration of the solid-state transformer's capabilities is being conducted at the Electric Power Research Institute's power delivery laboratory in Lenox, Massachusetts. This collaboration, which began with the New York Power Authority in 2018, tests the technology's ability to handle up to 1 megawatt of power. Despite ongoing engineering challenges, Lukic is optimistic that data center adoption will help "derisk" the technology for broader applications, including electric vehicle charging and residential DC power distribution.