Page 18 - Winter 2026

Industry News
SILICON CARBIDE DRIVES
NEXT GENERATION
MODULAR UPS DESIGN
AI and hyperscale computing are creating rising
demand and rack densities in data centres. This is
being compounded by high energy costs and the
rapidly fluctuating and unpredictable load profiles
associated with AI applications.
Traditional uninterruptible power systems (UPSs),
designed to guarantee resilience and reliability, have
been manufactured using Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistors (IGBTs).
Recent research, however, suggests that silicon
carbide, or SiC, semiconductors potentially offer:
• Higher efficiency and reduced losses - SiC
components exhibit lower electrical resistance
resulting in reduced energy losses, which helps to
maximise the overall efficiency of the UPS.
• Increased power density - making it possible
to design more compact and lightweight UPS
systems without compromising overall power
capacity.
• Increased thermal stability - SiC can operate at
higher temperatures than IGBTs enabling a higher
operational range and lower cooling demands.
• Enhanced frequency response - faster switching
capabilities produce a more responsive UPS,
which is critical for the handling of rapidly
fluctuating loads, such as those in AI applications.
• Durability - SiC can withstand high surge currents
and voltage spikes, reducing wear and tear,
providing extended component and UPS lifecycles
and reducing maintenance costs.
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The SiC components require more energy to
manufacture, but this is offset by energy savings
across the UPS lifecycle.
It is foreseen that in the light of the research,
conducted by Riello UPS, who were shortlisted for this
year’s Data Centre World Innovation Product of the
Year Award, silicon carbide “will likely become the go-
to choice to help UPS manufacturers meet the needs
of modern data centres’ ongoing demand for higher
efficiency power infrastructure “.
Reference: Cutler, C., ‘How Silicon Carbide is changing Data Centre
Power’, Data Centre Review, H1 2026, p.6-7
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Industry News
MICROSCOPIC LASER
TO REDUCE ENERGY
CONSUMPTION OF
DATA CENTRES
Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark Professor Jesper Mork comments:
have developed a nanolaser that is envisaged
“ The nanolaser opens up the possibility of creating
to substantially reduce the energy consumption
a new generation of components that combine
of data centres, as well as future computers and
high performance with minimal size. This could be in
smartphones, by enabling microchips to transmit
information technology, where ultra-small and energy
data using light instead of electricity.
efficient lasers can reduce energy consumption in
Thousands of these tiny lasers are integrated onto a computers, or in the development of sensors for the
single microchip, allowing for optical data transmission healthcare sector, where the nanolaser’s extreme light
on a scale that has hitherto been impossible. concentration can deliver high-resolution images and
ultrasensitive biosensors “.
The device is built around a nanocavity, an optical
structure that traps and concentrates light in a space Reference: New Electronics, Vol.59 Issue 3, March 2026, p.33
that is so small as to have made previous designs
unattainable. When illuminated by an external
light source, both light and electrons gather in the
confined area, allowing the laser to function at room
temperature with minimal energy.
The design is seen as being essential for the vision
of chip-scale optical communication, since future
microchips would require thousands of light sources
working simultaneously.
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