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Data centers turn to photonics to cut power use from copper wiring

The shift targets high copper consumption in a typical 100MW facility, where up to 20 tonnes can be network wiring and photonics can reduce heat and cooling energy needs.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

BBC Business reports that data center operators are moving away from traditional copper wiring, betting that the industry will use less of the metal as they seek to save power and add capacity.

The outlet cites an estimate that a typical 100MW data center can use around 400 tonnes of copper, with up to 70 tonnes going to computer servers and up to 20 tonnes used for network wiring connecting those servers. Industry leaders argue that the copper pathways between processors are a bottleneck, because data is moved as electrons that travel through copper and can limit performance.

The reporting says researchers and companies want to extend fiber optic style transmission inside data centers using photonics, where light carries data as photons instead of electricity. It adds that photonics can lower heating effects compared with electrical signaling, which could reduce the energy required for cooling systems.

BBC Business also notes that photonics has been worked on for years but faced manufacturing challenges, and that engineers are working on connecting optical components directly to electrical ones, sometimes even on computer chips, to make the technology ready for wider adoption.

Latest closeCopper $6.801 ▲0.6%

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