Higher-voltage direct current: what 800 V DC could mean for new data centers

What the development involves

Today, electricity is converted several times between alternating and direct current before it reaches the servers. In May 2025, NVIDIA presented an architecture in which power is converted to 800 V DC at the edge of the facility, with the aim of supporting 1 MW racks from 2027 (NVIDIA, May 20, 2025). Vertiv plans commercial availability of its 800 V portfolio in the second half of 2026 (Vertiv, August 2025).

ABB and Eaton are investing in solid-state transformers, which convert medium voltage directly to direct current (ABB, Eaton, August 2025). In parallel, Google, Meta and Microsoft are working on a ±400 V standard within the Open Compute Project (Google Cloud).

What benefits are documented

There is no independent operational data yet. NVIDIA cites up to 30% lower total cost of ownership, and ABB refers to an efficiency gain of more than 5%. Both are vendor figures and targets.

What it could mean in Sweden

For large-scale AI campuses, DC could become standard within a few years. For multi-tenant facilities of 10–25 MW, AC is likely to dominate for longer.

What matters for a developer is not to rule out a later transition. A data center is built to be used for decades, while IT equipment is replaced every few years. The building, switchgear and cable routes therefore need to accommodate several generations of technology.

What we are investigating

How switchgear, spaces and cable routes can be prepared for a later transition. Which protection and safety requirements apply under Swedish and European regulations. How battery backup is integrated into a DC system. What skills operations will require.