Prime Highlights:

• Hitachi and SIT will jointly develop Singapore’s first rack-level hybrid AC/DC power distribution testbed for data centres at the SIT Punggol campus.
• The project aims to improve energy efficiency and renewable integration as AI-driven data centre demand surges across Southeast Asia.

Key Facts:

• The testbed will connect to SIT’s multi-energy microgrid, described as Southeast Asia’s first university-based microgrid, enabling real-time power optimisation.
• The facility will test higher-voltage direct current distribution at the rack level to reduce conversion losses, heat output, and electricity waste in data centres.

Background:

Hitachi and Singapore Institute of Technology will jointly build a hybrid AC/DC rack-level power distribution testbed for data centres at the SIT Punggol campus. The partners said the facility will be the first rack-level hybrid power testbed of its kind in Singapore.

The system will connect to the campus’s multi-energy microgrid, which combines solar panels and other distributed energy resources. The microgrid allows real-time monitoring and optimisation of power use across the campus. SIT described it as the first such university-based microgrid in Southeast Asia.

Researchers will use the site as a live test environment under SIT’s Living Lab Network. The setup will allow engineers to test hybrid AC/DC power systems under real operating conditions rather than in a controlled laboratory. The goal is to measure performance, reliability, and energy savings in scenarios similar to modern data centres.

The project comes as digital services and artificial intelligence drive sharp growth in data centre demand across Southeast Asia. Higher computing loads and heavy cooling needs in tropical climates have pushed energy use to new levels. The partners said hybrid power systems could reduce conversion losses and improve overall efficiency.

The testbed will focus on higher-voltage direct current distribution at the rack level. This approach may allow easier integration of renewable energy and reduce the number of power conversion stages inside data centres. Fewer conversions can lower heat output and cut electricity waste.

Findings from the trials will help guide future data centre power designs. The partners expect the results to support more sustainable and energy-efficient digital infrastructure in the region.

The collaboration also includes a training element. SIT students will work with Hitachi’s research and development teams on projects linked to hybrid power systems and renewable integration. The companies said this will give students hands-on experience with emerging data centre technologies while supporting industry research.

The project reflects growing efforts by technology firms and universities to develop greener power solutions as global demand for computing capacity continues to rise.

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