With the development of cloud computing, mobility, Internet of Things, machine learning, etc., the demand for big data storage and computing processing has also increased significantly. More data processing means more energy consumption, leading to the construction of additional data centers and supporting infrastructure. With the expansion of data centers around the world, there is a need to manage data centers more reliably and efficiently. Gallium nitride (GaN), especially GaN HEMT epi wafer, is one of semiconductor materials ideal for data center, which can be offered by PAM-XIAMEN. For more GaN HEMT wafer, please view https://www.powerwaywafer.com/gan-wafer/gan-hemt-epitaxial-wafer.html.
As a wide bandgap semiconductor, the biggest feature of gallium nitride (GaN) is high power conversion efficiency. Especially in high-energy consumption scenarios such as data centers, GaN will bring significant energy-saving effects due to its high efficiency. That’s why choose GaN material for data centers. More specifically as follows:
Currently, there are more than 7 million data centers in operation around the world, consuming the equivalent of 2% of global electricity consumption in 2019. Of this, about 30% of the electricity is used to cool the facility. Therefore, by increasing server efficiency and reducing power and heat losses, significant energy savings can be achieved; electricity costs and CO2 emissions can be reduced.
Data Center
1. Saving Energy with GaN
The largest operating cost of a data center is the power the servers run on, which can be as high as 40% of the total operating cost. Usually about 5%-10% of the electrical energy is wasted. In addition, by 2020, data center energy consumption is expected to increase to approximately 140 billion kilowatt-hours per year, which translates to $13 billion in annual electricity bills and nearly 150 million tons of carbon emissions.
Advances in power design using GaN instead of silicon transistors are expected to reduce energy use by several percent. In addition to the energy-saving benefits, these technologies can facilitate the adoption of fewer or smaller power supplies in the data center, thereby reducing the need for data center space and power.
2. Improving Efficiency with GaN
Energy consumption in a data center is a complex combination of power loss and cooling. In a data center, the power supplied to servers requires multiple conversions, and about 30% of the power is lost due to inefficiency.
GaN technology can increase overall data center efficiency to 84%. GaN devices used for power conversion from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), and then for direct current (DC) power conversion of loads, can increase the overall efficiency from the original 77% to 84%, keeping the data center functioning properly.
3. Cost Saving by GaN
It is reported that GaN devices can reduce power costs by more than $2,300 per rack and save more than $240 million in overall operating costs. Data center power densities will increase by more than 25 percent, adding $1.4 billion in revenue opportunities to data center operators worldwide, while deferring nearly $1.1 billion in capital expenditures by delaying data center construction.
The coming massive amounts of data are driving the need for increasingly scalable, efficient and flexible data center infrastructure. Power systems using Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices offer higher power conversion efficiency. Investments in this high-performance technology mean greater energy and space efficiency by creating smaller, lighter, lower cost, and more efficient power systems. Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology will enable data center operators not only to better run their businesses, but ultimately to play an important role in changing the world of energy and data.
Therefore, using GaN semiconductor material to creat smaller, lighter, lower cost and more efficient power system can offer higher power conversion efficiency, meeting the needs of data centers’ development.
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