Will a switch to light speed cut power use at data centres?
Summary
Data centres use a lot of copper in their electrical systems and cooling, but new technology called photonics uses light instead of electricity to move data. This switch can reduce heat and save energy in data centres, helping them become less power-hungry. Photonics technology has been developed for years and is now ready to be widely used, although there are still engineering and manufacturing challenges to solve.Key Facts
- Data centres use around 400 tonnes of copper in a typical 100MW facility.
- Copper is used in power infrastructure, cooling systems, server components, and network wiring.
- Photonics technology transmits data using light (photons) instead of electrical signals (electrons).
- Using light reduces heat production, which lowers energy needed for cooling.
- Photonics can transmit multiple data streams on the same channel, increasing capacity.
- Companies and researchers have been developing photonics for years, but it only recently became ready for large-scale use.
- AI chip maker Nvidia supports photonics technology.
- Challenges remain in reducing costs and managing heat sensitivity in optical components.
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