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GaN Rising as Power Chain Option as Energy Demand, Cost Grows

By Bill Kleyman - November 5, 2018

GaN Rising as Power Chain Option as Energy Demand, Cost Grows

A power room inside the SUPERNAP campus in Las Vegas. (Photo: Switch)

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The data center is an ever-changing entity and part of our technological landscape. But sometimes the biggest changes in the colocation industry happen at the core of what makes a data center tick, and may not be visible at first glance. In this instance, we’re talking about data center power, and the potential of creative solutions on the market, such as using Gallium nitride (GaN) in power conversion equipment.

GaN

Download the latest Data Center Frontier Special Report on GaN computing.

The common belief among data center leaders is that the industry’s current power conversion technology is good enough. But that’s simply not the case anymore, as we look to a future of expansive data growth and demands for data center space.

Gartner estimates that ongoing power costs are increasing at least 10 percent per year due to cost per kilowatt-hour (kwh) increases and underlying demand, especially for high power density servers. A recent NRDC report indicates that data center electricity consumption is projected to increase to roughly 140 billion kwh annually by 2020 — the equivalent annual output of 50 power plants — costing American businesses $13 billion annually in electricity bills.

Meanwhile, the latest AFCOM State of the Data Center report found that the majority of respondents report rack power density is increasing. And although rack power density is increasing, that same report also indicates very little growth around actual enterprise data center capacity requirements.

This means that today’s data center leaders are tasked with doing more, but with less space. Let’s also take into account that power currently comprises approximately 10 percent of data center operating expenses (OPEX), and that number is expected to rise by 15 percent within five years.

On top of growing power needs, the data center landscape is changing due to the newly trending edge computing designs. Edge computing will directly impact the way smaller data center locations are deployed, from rack density to power consumption. The goal of edge data centers and edge computing is to place facilities close to where data is being created and consumed, creating more data centers that must be smaller and hyper-efficient. For edge designs, data center managers will benefit from advanced power solutions delivering higher performance, higher power efficiency and greater power density.

How Will Data Center Power Systems Keep up?

The market currently has its eye on Gallium nitride (GaN) to use in power conversion equipment. Although GaN has been around for a while, it’s relatively new to the data center scene.

It is now being researched for its potential to bring greater efficiency to data center power distribution as an alternative to traditional silicon-based transistors.

Transistors first gained widespread use because they were small, flexible and efficient. And over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, transistor enhancements such as more integrated circuits, and earlier iterations of compute technologies, made the technology even more popular. The silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) was at the center of it all.

In today’s market, we’re capping out on silicon-driven power efficiency. But it’s not all bad news. Better data center solutions are materializing. For the first time in decades, emerging semiconductor technologies are proving to be more efficient than silicon while reducing overall power system costs.

Enter GaN. The wide bandgap semiconductor material hit the market in the 1990s, and perhaps its most well-known use is a key component in LED lighting technology. But there are many additional uses, and today, it’s also being used in the production of semiconductor power devices and RF radio components.

For the first time in decades, emerging semiconductor technologies are proving to be more efficient than silicon while reducing overall power system costs.

The first enhancement-mode  gallium nitride transistors became generally available in 2010. And when it comes to data center and power efficiency, GaN may just act as an alternative to MOSFETs.

GaN has the potential to be a disruptive technology. When compared to silicon, GaN can increase power density by as much as 40 percent, switches two to three times faster, reduces heat dissipation and can cut down on overall power system cost.

Ultimately, use of rack mount power supplies and other equipment built using high-voltage GaN have the potential to produce the power density required to maximize rack space and, ultimately, a data center’s overall performance.

A reference design for a Transphorm AC to DC Power System using gallium nitride (GaN) technology. (Image: Transphorm USA)

A reference design for a Transphorm AC to DC Power System using gallium nitride (GaN) technology. (Image: Transphorm USA)

GaN Technology Gaining Interest

Though introduced in recent years, high-voltage GaN is in production and accessible. What’s more, reputable power supply and industrial equipment manufacturers are in production — including Bel Power, CORSAIR, Seasonic, Yaskawa — selling GaN-based products that demonstrate GaN’s ability to increase efficiency and power density

Over a year ago, Transphorm, which focuses on high-performance, high-reliability GaN products, announced that Bel Power introduced the first-ever AC-DC power supply using Transphorm GaN FETs. Other vendors in this market include GAN Systems and Efficient Power Conversion, which each offer products for data center operators, as well.

As for cost, consider this. Leaders in the power space have been researching and developing high-voltage GaN for a decade or more. As such, many GaN platforms and products are already third-generation tech. Research and generational improvements have not only increased performance, quality and reliability, but they have also enabled transistor price reductions year over year. This shows us that high-voltage GaN innovation and volume increases will drive down cost. And many are already using GaN to decrease overall data center OPEX costs. See direct examples in our latest Data Center Frontier special report on GaN technology.

The market will also likely begin to see more product manufacturers releasing servers, power supplies and other end equipment leveraging GaN’s semiconductor technology’s benefits.

For now, GaN is still a relatively new technology, but adoption is growing. The reality is demand for power density, cost and space will continue to grow, and those challenges certainly aren’t going anywhere. The industry will have to continue looking for answers to these crucial questions, and GaN very well could be part of the answer.

For the latest and most in-depth coverage of GaN technology and how it relates to the data center industry and future data center power, see below for Data Center Frontier’s latest coverage, including articles and a special report series.

Explore the evolving world of edge computing further through Data Center Frontier’s special report series and ongoing coverage.

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Tagged With: Data Center Power, DCF Spotlight #1, GaN, GaN power

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About Bill Kleyman

Bill Kleyman is a veteran, enthusiastic technologist with experience in data center design, management and deployment. Currently, Bill works as the Executive Vice President of Digital Solutions at Switch.

Special Report Article Series

A look inside the racks and power room at a data center in Sunnyvale, Calif. (Photos: Element Critical)

Leveraging GaN Products – How to Get Started

October 8, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

This is the final entry in a four-part Data Center Frontier special report series that explores how Gallium Nitride, or GaN, is showing significant benefits for data center equipment refreshes. This post provides a primer for leveraging GaN products in your business, and how to get started improving power efficiency. 

data center infrastructure management

Decrease OPEX Using GaN Power Conversion

October 1, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

This is the third entry in a four-part Data Center Frontier special report series that explores how Gallium Nitride, or GaN, is showing significant benefits for data center equipment refreshes. This post covers how data centers can decrease OPEX using GaN power conversion, as well as use cases that illustrate the benefits of GaN. 

GaN power

Leaving Legacy Behind: Understanding GaN Power

September 24, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

The benefits of gallium nitride (GaN) technologies can best be understood by exploring four “pillars” normally used to vet power converter technologies.

Getting the design and materials right during the early stages of a data center project directly impacts your ability to deploy quickly.

Rise of GaN Technologies Bodes Well for Data Center Efficiency

September 17, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

This is the first entry in a four-part Data Center Frontier special report series that explores how forefront Gallium Nitride, or GaN technologies, are showing significant benefits for data center refreshes. This first article sets the stage and discusses the state of today’s data center in regards to efficiency and data center design, including inclusion of more power-efficient solutions. 

Recent Articles

Gallium Nitride Power Systems Seek a Larger Foothold in Data Centers

May 11, 2021 By Doug Mohney

Gallium nitride (GaN) is being used in a growing number of power devices in consumer products. GaN specialist are hoping the technology can play a larger role in data center power infrastructure.

Top 2019 data and power trends

Top 2019 Trends Impacting the World’s Escalating Demand for Data and Power

February 14, 2019 By Voices of the Industry

Jim Witham, CEO of GaN Systems, explores the top 2019 data cent power trends, and highlights new perspectives and approaches to thinking about and addressing the power needs of the diverse technology that surrounds us. 

Power room at the SUPERNAP data center in Las Vegas.

GaN Rising as Power Chain Option as Energy Demand, Cost Grows

November 5, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

Data center leaders are exploring the potential of using Gallium nitride (GaN) in power conversion equipment to increase efficiency. Although GaN has been around for a while, it’s relatively new to the data center world.

A reference design for a Transphorm AC to DC Power System using gallium nitride (GaN) technology. (Image: Transphorm USA)

As Power Needs Grow, GaN Emerges as Power Chain Option

June 28, 2018 By Bill Kleyman

Several companies are advancing the use of Gallium nitride (GaN) in power conversion equipment, which some believe has the potential to bring greater efficiency to data center power distribution

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GaN

Optimizing Data Center Power Efficiency

Power efficiency in terms of power supplies and data center power systems within other equipment is an area sometimes deprioritized during refresh cycles. But times are changing. Download the new Data Center Frontier Special Report, courtesy of transphorm, to explore how GaN technologies show significant benefits for data center refreshes.

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GaN

Optimizing Data Center Power Efficiency

Power efficiency in terms of power supplies and data center power systems within other equipment is an area sometimes deprioritized during refresh cycles. But times are changing. Download the new Data Center Frontier Special Report, courtesy of transphorm, to explore how GaN technologies show significant benefits for data center refreshes.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

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