Schneider Electric advances 800 VDC power systems
Author: Joe Peck
Schneider Electric, a French multinational specialising in energy management and industrial automation, has outlined its latest developments in 800 VDC power architectures, designed to meet the growing demands of high-density rack systems across next-generation data centres.
The company says the move reflects a broader industry transition towards higher power densities and greater efficiency, as artificial intelligence (AI) workloads drive increased compute intensity.
Schneider Electric is developing its approach around system-level design, integrating power conversion, protection, and metering to ensure performance, scalability, and safety.
Jim Simonelli, Chief Technology Officer for Data Centres at Schneider Electric, explains, “The move to 800 VDC is a natural evolution as compute density increases and Schneider Electric is committed to helping customers make that transition safely and reliably.
“Our expertise lies in understanding the full power ecosystem, from grid to server, and designing systems that integrate seamlessly and operate predictably.”
Collaboration with NVIDIA on 800 VDC sidecar
Schneider Electric is working with NVIDIA to develop an 800 VDC sidecar capable of powering racks of up to 1.2 MW.
The sidecar is designed to support future generations of NVIDIA GPUs and accelerated computing infrastructure by converting AC power from the data centre into 800 VDC.
According to Schneider Electric, the design enables safe and efficient megawatt-scale rack power delivery while helping to minimise infrastructure and material costs. The sidecar includes:
• Modular power conversion shelves
• Integrated short-term energy storage for load smoothing and backup
• Live Swap capability for safer maintenance
• High energy efficiency
The company says the development reflects its wider ‘system-level’ approach, which focuses on the complete power infrastructure rather than isolated components.
This includes optimising conversion technology, intelligent metering, and integrated protection systems to improve operational efficiency and support scalable, high-density deployments.
Safety, reliability, and validation
Schneider Electric reports that its 800 VDC power systems are backed by extensive modelling, simulation, and testing. This includes fault current and arc flash analysis, as well as certified laboratory environments designed to replicate real-world conditions.
The company’s safety and validation processes are aimed at ensuring predictable performance, simplified maintenance, and operational resilience, which are all key factors for facilities deploying high-density AI and high-performance computing racks.
Dion Harris, Senior Director of HPC, Cloud, and AI Infrastructure Solutions GTM at NVIDIA, says, “Scalable power architectures are the foundation for next-generation AI infrastructure that maximises both performance and efficiency.
“NVIDIA and Schneider Electric are building on our longstanding partnership to design and deliver advanced 800 VDC power systems that will support AI applications driving the industrial AI revolution.”
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