Nvidia and Vertiv: DC Revolution for Data Centers

The Rise of DC Architectures in Data Centers

At the recent GTC conference organized by Nvidia, the focus was on new chip architectures designed to power artificial intelligence. However, as these chips become faster and more powerful, data center infrastructure struggles to keep pace with this technological advancement. In response to this challenge, companies such as Delta, Vertiv, and Eaton have announced innovations aimed at replacing complex and inefficient AC to DC conversions with DC configurations, particularly in hyperscale data centers.

Chris Thompson, Vice President of Advanced Technology and Global Microgrids at Vertiv, emphasizes that while AC distribution is still deeply entrenched, advancements in power electronics and the growing demands of AI infrastructure are accelerating interest in DC architectures.

Limitations of Traditional AC Power

Currently, the majority of data centers are designed around AC power. The typical electrical path involves several conversions before energy reaches the computing load. Energy usually enters the data center as medium-voltage AC, is then stepped down to low-voltage AC using a transformer, converted to DC inside an inverter for battery storage, reconverted to AC, and then converted back to low-voltage DC at the server level. This double conversion process ensures that the output AC is clean, stable, and suitable for data center servers, as explained by Luiz Fernando Huet de Bacellar, Vice President of Engineering and Technology at Eaton.

This setup has worked well enough for the energy needs of traditional data centers, where computing racks consume about 10 kW each. However, for AI, consumption is starting to approach 1 MW. At this scale, energy losses, current levels, and copper requirements from AC to DC conversions become increasingly difficult to justify. Each conversion results in energy loss. Moreover, as the amount of energy to be delivered increases, the size of the converters, as well as the connector requirements for copper bars, become unsustainable. According to a Nvidia blog, a 1 MW rack could require up to 200 kg of copper bar. For a 1 GW data center, this could represent 200,000 kg of copper.

Transition to 800 V DC

By directly converting the AC power from the 13.8 kV grid to 800 V DC at the edge of the data center, most intermediate conversion steps are eliminated. This reduces the number of fans and power units, leading to increased system reliability, reduced thermal dissipation, improved energy efficiency, and a smaller equipment footprint. Each energy conversion between the electrical grid or power source and the silicon chips inside the servers results in energy loss, states Fernando.

Switching from 415 V AC to 800 V DC in electrical distribution allows for 85% more power to be transmitted through the same size conductor. This occurs because a higher voltage reduces current demand, thereby decreasing resistive losses and making energy transfer more efficient. Thinner conductors can handle the same load, reducing copper needs by 45%, providing a 5% improvement in efficiency, and a 30% lower total cost of ownership for GW-scale installations.

In a high-voltage DC architecture, energy from the grid is converted from medium-voltage AC to approximately 800 V DC and then distributed throughout the facility on a DC bus, explains Thompson from Vertiv. At the rack level, compact DC-DC converters reduce this voltage for GPUs and CPUs.

Innovations and Supply Chain Challenges

A small number of suppliers are trying to get ahead in this transition. Vertiv's 800 V DC ecosystem, which integrates with NVIDIA Vera Rubin Ultra Kyber platforms, will be commercially available in the second half of 2026. Eaton is also well advanced in its innovation of 800 V DC systems through a medium-voltage solid-state transformer (SST) that will be at the heart of the DC power distribution system. Meanwhile, Delta has launched 660 kW power racks online at 800 V DC with a total of 480 kW of integrated battery backup units. Finally, SolarEdge is working on a 99% efficient SST that will be paired with a native DC UPS and a DC power distribution layer.

However, much of the industry is still lagging behind. Patrick Hughes, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Technical and Industrial Affairs at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, states that most innovations are occurring at the 400 V DC level, although some are preparing for 800 V DC. He believes the industry needs a complete and coordinated ecosystem, including power electronics, protection, connectors, detection, and safe service components that evolve together rather than in isolation. This, in turn, requires reconfiguring manufacturing capacity for DC-specific equipment, expanding the supply of semiconductors and materials, and securing clear and long-term demand commitments that justify major capital investment across the value chain.

A report from the technology consulting group Omdia states that higher voltage DC data centers have already emerged in China. In America, the Mt. Diablo initiative, a collaboration between Meta, Microsoft, and the Open Compute Project, is an experiment in 400 V DC rack power distribution.

Many are taking a cautious approach, offering limited or tailored solutions while awaiting clearer standards, safety frameworks, and customer commitments, says Hughes. Building the supply chain will depend on stabilizing standards and safety frameworks so that suppliers can confidently design, certify, manufacture, and install equipment.