Alderbuck Energy to Deploy 800 VDC Solid-State Transformer Platform at San Diego Supercomputer Center

CEC-funded UC San Diego project will validate medium-voltage AC-to-800 VDC power infrastructure for high-density AI data centers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alderbuck Energy today announced that its Nexus Power Unit™ (NPU), will be deployed at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at University of California San Diego. The NPU is a cutting-edge medium-voltage solid-state transformer (SST) platform and is set to enable the next generation of smart grids, where multiple assets and complex power flows can be managed in concert. The deployment is part of the California Energy Commission-funded project, “Accelerating Grid-Interactive, Flexible Data Centers in California,” will generate operational field data on a 12 kV AC-to-800 VDC architecture designed to help data centers address rising AI rack densities, power-system complexity, and grid coordination requirements.

The biggest obstacles to AI capacity deployment are well known: time to power, electrical footprint, power-system complexity, uptime risk, supply chain issues, and coordinating with local utilities. Alderbuck’s technology addresses all of these. The demonstration will evaluate power-architecture targets including a 4 percent energy-efficiency improvement, more than 50 percent reduction in power equipment footprint, and more than 50 percent faster power-system installation, compared with conventional 480 V AC data center power architecture. For developers, those gains mean smaller electrical rooms, faster energization, reduced construction risk, and getting capacity online faster.

"SDSC has been advancing compute infrastructure for decades, and the shift to 800 VDC will be one of the most significant architectural changes we'll see in the years ahead. AI is fundamentally changing what data centers demand from the grid, and efficiency gains at scale are why this architecture matters and why we need to validate it in real operating conditions," said Brian Balderston, Director of Infrastructure and Data Centers for SDSC's Research Data Services Division. "The Nexus Power Unit demonstration at SDSC helps show us what that future looks like in practice."

“California is positioned to lead the next wave of AI infrastructure, both for large, centralized data center campuses and for more distributed facilities,” said Kimberly McGrath, Chief Strategy Officer at Alderbuck Energy. “This deployment is designed to show how medium-voltage-to-800 VDC power infrastructure can help operators bring high-density compute capacity online faster while maintaining the reliability data centers require.”

The modular architecture is intended to support deployment scenarios where utility capacity, electrical footprint, and commissioning timelines constrain AI growth, including greenfield campuses, expansions, retrofits, and distributed inference sites.

Before installation at SDSC, the SST will undergo factory testing and utility-scale laboratory validation. DERConnect, UC San Diego’s $42 million NSF-funded, state-of-the-art testing facility, will conduct hardware-in-the-loop simulations using AI workload profiles to de-risk live operation before the system is deployed in the data center environment. Grid-responsive operation will then be evaluated within operator-defined reliability, workload, and service-quality constraints.

“UC San Diego’s campus microgrid and DERConnect facility provide a unique environment to test how high-density data center loads can interact with the grid in real operating conditions,” said Mike Ferry, UC San Diego Energy Storage Group Director. “This project will help validate new power architectures that can support AI infrastructure while giving utilities and operators better tools to plan for large flexible loads.”

The project will also produce a flexible load capacity tool to help California policymakers and utilities plan for large DC loads, including AI data centers, EV fast charging sites, and industrial customers. UC San Diego serves as prime contractor, with partners including San Diego Supercomputer Center, Alderbuck Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, EmeraldAI, which will contribute compute orchestration software, and the Good For Others Foundation. The project will also include an equity-focused workforce development initiative focused on high-power, grid-interactive data center operations.

About Alderbuck Energy

Alderbuck Energy develops power conversion and intelligent energy management solutions for data centers and other large-load customers. Its compact, modular Nexus Power Unit (NPU) and PowerVectorAI (PVAI) platform is designed to simplify medium-voltage interconnection, improve power quality, support higher uptime, and increase operational flexibility for power-dense facilities. For more information, visit www.alderbuck.com.

About UC San Diego

UC San Diego is a leading public research university recognized globally for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and public service. Its Energy Storage Group advances energy storage technologies to unlock the full potential of solar, wind, and other sustainable energy sources. For more information, visit https://www.energystorage.ucsd.edu/

About San Diego Supercomputer Center

The San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego provides advanced computing, data, and AI infrastructure for the national research community, including academia, government, and industry. Established in 1985 as one of the nation’s first supercomputer centers, SDSC operates systems including Expanse and Voyager to support high-performance computing, AI research, data-intensive science, and emerging edge-computing applications. For more information, visit https://www.sdsc.edu/.

About the California Energy Commission

The California Energy Commission is leading the state to a 100 percent clean energy future. It has seven core responsibilities: developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, increasing energy efficiency, investing in energy innovation, advancing state energy policy, certifying thermal power plants, and preparing for energy emergencies. For more information, visit https://www.energy.ca.gov/about/core-responsibility-fact-sheets.