PowerUp: AI Data Centers and Their Impact on Power Electronics
This video panel from PowerUP 2026 is moderated by Aalyia Shaukat, Editor-in-Chief of Power Electronics News.
Data centers are shifting toward higher-voltage direct-current architectures, distributing ±400 V or 800 V DC directly to megawatt-class compute racks, to reduce copper requirements, streamline power conversion, and improve power density and delivery efficiency from the grid to the IT load. The rapidly increasing power demands of next-generation “AI factories” are creating new challenges for facility infrastructure and the electrical grid. The task of supporting this ever-growing AI demand has put the spotlight on data center power electronics, including emerging solid-state transformers that convert utility power directly to 800 VDC. It also requires advances in IT equipment protection—such as hot-swappable controllers, eFuses, and solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs)—and DC/DC platforms that convert 800 VDC down to 50 V, 12 V, or even 6 V within the compute rack.
This panel will bring together industry experts to examine what it actually takes to deploy 800 VDC architectures at scale: the remaining needs in standardization, safety and protection; the impact of AI workloads on the grid; and the power, thermal and reliability tradeoffs from the facility entrance to the compute rack.
Panelists:
- Dr. Thomas Neyer, SVP R&D GaN Technology Development, Infineon
- Robert Taylor, Sector General Manager, TI
- Mike Tu, Principal Electrical Design Engineer, Nvidia
- Giovanni Vitale, Application Director, ST
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