Specialists in digital transformation of energy management and automation, Schneider Electric says it is affirming its commitment to supporting the industry's transition to 800 volts direct current (VDC) power architectures, which it explains are a critical requirement for emerging high-density rack systems being adopted across next-generation data centres.

It notes that the traditional 54 volt in-rack power distribution currently in use in data centres is designed for kilowatt-scale racks and can’t support the megawatt-scale racks coming soon to modern AI factories, making scalable 800 VDC distribution systems with integrated energy storage essential.

The company says it is gearing up to meet these needs through a comprehensive, system-level approach that integrates power conversion, protection and metering – aimed at ensuring that power systems are efficient, safe, resilient and ready to scale.

“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,” said Schneider Electric CTO: data centres Jim Simonelli. “Our expertise lies in understanding the full power ecosystem, from grid to server, and designing solutions that integrate seamlessly, perform predictably, and operate safely.”

Schneider Electric is collaborating with NVIDIA to develop an 800 VDC sidecar capable of powering racks of up to 1.2 MW to support next generation NVIDIA graphics processing units and future iterations of NVIDIA accelerated computing infrastructure.  

The company highlights its holistic view of power infrastructure that enables it to design and optimise systems as a whole — including conversion technologies, intelligent metering, and integrated protection mechanisms — aimed at helping customers achieve predictable, validated performance, simplified maintenance and scalability, and higher operational efficiency.  

As part of the NVIDIA ecosystem, Schneider Electric asserts that it is aligned with the broader industry shift toward next-generation architectures that demand enhanced power infrastructure.