As artificial intelligence drives an unprecedented surge in demand for electricity, a Chinese solar company is betting that next-generation panels built into the walls and roofs of data centres can help power the computing boom.
Microquanta, a manufacturer of perovskite photovoltaic modules, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with data centre developer Xinpu Tuling Technology for what the companies describe as "a demonstration project integrating computing and energy infrastructure," according to a report by solar industry publication TaiyangNews on October 19. The planned cooperation is valued at RMB 1.5 billion, or roughly $210 million.
The project will support Xinpu Tuling's green computing initiative in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province in western China. The overall initiative has a total planned investment of about RMB 13 billion and includes a computing cluster with a planned capacity of 40,000 P, a measure of processing power.
Solar on every surface
The partners plan to combine Microquanta's perovskite solar technology with building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), direct supply of green power and energy storage. Rather than relying solely on large solar farms located far away, the project will use the rooftops, façades and other distributed spaces of the data centre buildings themselves to generate electricity.
Building-integrated photovoltaics replace conventional building materials, such as roofing or cladding, with panels that generate power. Perovskite solar cells are particularly suited to such applications because they can be made lighter, thinner and, in some forms, semi-transparent or flexible, opening up surfaces that traditional silicon panels cannot easily use.
Combined with energy storage, on-site generation can help data centres reduce their reliance on the grid, lower their carbon footprint and manage costs. Direct green power supply arrangements allow renewable generators to sell electricity directly to large consumers, bypassing some of the constraints of traditional grid procurement.
Why perovskites matter
Perovskites are a class of materials with a particular crystal structure that can absorb light and convert it into electricity very efficiently. Over the past decade, perovskite solar cells have attracted intense research interest because their laboratory efficiencies have risen rapidly and because they can potentially be manufactured at lower cost and with less energy than conventional silicon cells.
Their main challenges have been durability and scaling. Perovskite materials can degrade when exposed to moisture, heat and light over long periods, and producing large, stable modules consistently has proved difficult. Companies including Microquanta, based in Hangzhou, have been working to commercialise the technology, and large demonstration projects like this one are important steps in proving its reliability in real-world conditions.
If perovskites can be produced durably at scale, they could lower the cost of solar power further and enable new applications, from building façades to tandem cells that combine perovskite and silicon layers for higher efficiency.
Qinghai's clean energy advantage
The choice of Qinghai is no accident. The high-altitude province on the Tibetan Plateau has abundant sunshine, large areas of available land and extensive hydropower, solar and wind resources. It has become one of China's leading clean energy bases, and authorities have promoted it as a destination for energy-intensive industries seeking renewable power.
China has been encouraging the construction of data centres in its resource-rich western regions under its "East Data, West Computing" strategy, which aims to process data generated in the densely populated east using computing facilities located in the west, where land and renewable energy are more plentiful. Cooler climates at high altitudes can also reduce the energy needed to cool servers.
