USA: As AI data centres move towards 800 V DC power architectures, solid-state transformers are emerging as a potential alternative to conventional transformer and rectifier configurations, although industry views remain divided over their readiness for widespread deployment.
The shift is being driven by rapidly increasing rack power density and the need to reduce conversion stages, equipment footprint and losses while improving integration with batteries and renewable generation.
Delta says its SST platform can convert 6.6–35 kV MV AC directly to 800 V DC with efficiency of up to 98.5 %. The company reports dozens of units operating in Asia and customer pilots underway in the United States.
Alderbuck Energy is also developing direct MV-to-HVDC systems and is piloting its technology at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. CEO Rick Sander expects SST adoption to accelerate significantly from 2028, particularly as AI infrastructure moves towards higher-density architectures.
However, other industry participants remain cautious.
SPOC Energy argues that SST technology currently lacks the maturity and supply-chain depth required for broad deployment, pointing instead to transformer-plus-rectifier architectures that can use established MV transformer supply chains while delivering DC power to AI loads.
Hitachi Energy has similarly highlighted challenges associated with compact SST designs at 34.5 kV, particularly insulation, manufacturing quality and achieving service lives of around 20 years.
Industry observers expect adoption to remain phased. Early deployments and prototypes are likely to expand first among hyperscalers and cloud service providers, with larger-scale SST deployment potentially becoming more visible from 2027.
Source: Data Center Knowledge
