AI data centres' rising energy needs prompt innovative solutions from companies like Avant and Tesla
USA News Group highlights the significant rise in energy consumption driven by the artificial intelligence revolution.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centre electricity demand is projected to more than double from 2022 to 2026, largely due to AI. This surge raises concerns about whether AI's energy demand will undermine Big Tech's climate goals and disrupt global power systems.
Companies like Avant Technologies Inc., Tesla, Inc., Supermicro, Inc., Digital Realty Trust, Inc., and Vertiv Holdings Co are actively developing solutions to address these challenges.
Avant Technologies Inc. is tackling the AI data centre demand issue with its state-of-the-art data centres featuring immersible AI supercomputer servers. Their offering aims to meet the rapid growth needs of the AI and big data industry while addressing sustainability and infrastructure concerns in local communities.
“Avant expects to lead the way in providing distributed submerged infrastructure solutions,” said William Hisey, CEO of Avant.
“With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, the use of high-performance immersible computer servers allows Avant to address the complex challenges of the digital era with cutting-edge solutions while keeping the communities we operate in satisfied that we are committed to green energy facilities.”
As data centres expand, communities often express frustration over the size and power demands of these facilities.
Avant aims to deliver cost-effective, energy-efficient, high-density supercomputing solutions designed to meet the current and future needs of AI and big data while maintaining eco-friendliness.
Avant plans to develop numerous smaller data centres nationwide, ensuring efficient and scalable solutions given the significant energy consumption of data centres.
“Efficient cooling is therefore a crucial driver of a data centre's profitability,” said Hisey. “Cooling accounts for some 40 percent of a data centre's energy consumption. To that end, Avant will take advantage of cooling and energy efficiency technologies to reduce costs for clients and remain energy efficient.”
Recently, Avant entered a Binding Letter of Intent (BLOI) with Flow Wave, LLC (FW) to acquire up to 50 immersible computer servers valued at $50m. Tesla, Inc. and Supermicro, Inc. are also implementing liquid cooling technology for AI data centres.
This technology may reduce electricity costs for cooling infrastructure by up to 89 percent compared to air cooling. Tesla's Gigafactory will house 50,000 Nvidia GPUs and Tesla AI hardware to enhance the Full Self-Driving feature.
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. announced the availability of liquid-to-chip cooling technology in 170 data centres globally. This advancement addresses high-density workloads, particularly in AI and data-intensive applications.
Chris Sharp, chief technology officer of Digital Realty, stated, “We're proud to align with our customers in evolving their infrastructure to support this cutting-edge liquid-to-chip technology, enabling them to land and expand their deployments efficiently and redefine what's possible in the digital age.”
Vertiv Holdings Co has partnered with Ballard Power Systems to support alternative energy usage in data centres. Their Power Module H2 provides zero GHG emission backup power generation and scalable infrastructure for new data centres and retrofitting existing sites.
Viktor Petik, vice president of Vertiv Infrastructure Solutions, emphasized the need for eco-friendly power solutions, stating, “The unprecedented adoption of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are driving a need for eco-friendly power solutions for our customers, with a focus on zero-carbon and low-carbon energy alternatives.”
Vertiv highlighted their Power Module H2 solution at their Delaware, Ohio facility, integrating two Ballard PowerGen 200kW fuel cell cabinets for a decarbonized backup system.
