In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the way we live and work. Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, is at the forefront of this transformation, driving innovation in AI-ready data centre solutions.
In its recent virtual AI broadcast, Schneider Electric unveiled several key developments and strategies aimed at addressing the growing energy demands of AI, while ensuring sustainability and efficiency.
The AI Revolution and Data Centres
AI is often described as the next industrial revolution, with the potential to enhance capabilities, improve production, transform operations and reduce risks. However, the backbone of this AI infrastructure is data centres, which are critical enablers of efficiency and decarbonisation.
As AI continues to advance, the energy demands of data centres are expected to double between 2022 and 2026, according to the International Energy Agency. This presents a significant challenge for the industry, which must scale quickly to seize AI opportunities while remaining sustainable.
Schneider Electric’s AI-Ready Data Centre Solutions
Schneider Electric is committed to helping its customers deploy and operate AI-ready data centres. The company has made bold strides in tackling AI’s massive energy demands through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships.
One of the key announcements made during the broadcast was Schneider Electric’s agreement to acquire Motivair, a leader in liquid cooling and thermal management. Liquid cooling is seen as the future of AI data centres, and Motivair’s expertise will enhance Schneider Electric’s capabilities in this area.
In addition to this acquisition, Schneider Electric announced a significant investment to support the development of innovative and sustainable data centre solutions over the next three years. This investment will ensure that customers have a reliable partner to help them quickly deploy AI-ready data centres around the globe.
Partnership with NVIDIA
Schneider Electric also highlighted its partnership with NVIDIA, a leader in AI computing. Together, they have launched new data centre reference designs for sustainable liquid-cooled AI clusters, capable of supporting up to 132 kilowatts per rack. These designs are optimised to handle high-density liquid-cooled loads, enabling accelerated compute at scale.
Energy Strategy for the AI Era
One of the critical challenges facing the data centre industry is the need to decouple the growth of data centres from energy consumption. Schneider Electric is addressing this challenge through a comprehensive energy strategy that focuses on three primary areas: energy sourcing, on-site power generation and management of power sources.
Schneider Electric provides power sourcing services to ensure the availability of energy from any place and any source. Through its AlphaStruxure division, the company also offers on-site power generation solutions, including wind, solar, gas turbines, engines and hydrogen fuel cells. These solutions are designed to ensure the availability of energy and decrease the time to power facilities.
Sustainability and Decarbonisation
Sustainability is at the core of Schneider Electric’s mission. The company is committed to helping its customers set, meet and even exceed their sustainability objectives in line with their AI strategy.
Schneider Electric’s EcoDesign process ensures that environmental impact is considered at every stage of product development. For example, the new Galaxy VXL UPS, which was designed with sustainability in mind, reduces material used by two tonnes and operating costs by more than 50%.
As AI continues to drive efficiencies and productivity across industries, the energy demands of data centres will only increase. Schneider Electric is leading the way in developing innovative and sustainable solutions to meet these demands.
Through strategic partnerships, significant investments and a commitment to sustainability, Schneider Electric is helping to shape the future of AI-ready data centres. By working together, it is possible to bend the energy curve and decouple the growth of data centres from energy consumption, ensuring a more sustainable future for all.
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