Power semiconductors reduce power consumption due to the spread of generative AI

Abe: If I may add, is there also a greater need to reduce energy?

Minamikawa: Yes, there is. Power reduction is an urgent issue around the world. In particular, the shift to EVs in mobility is important.

Demand for power semiconductors that control the motors that power EVs is now surging. This is especially spurred by China’s drive to dominate the global EV market.

By 2030, the ratio of gasoline-powered vehicles to motor-driven vehicles in the new car market is expected to be approximately fifty-fifty.

The growth rate of EVs has slowed slightly, but this is being made up for by HVs and PHEV so I do not think the forecast for total xEVs (electrified vehicles) will change much.

Incidentally, the cost of semiconductors in regular internal combustion engine cars is about 600 dollars (90,000 yen) per unit, while the cost of semiconductors in EVs such as the recent Tesla is about 1600 to 2500 dollars, or three to four times as much. The motorization of power and the electrification of vehicles through technologies like ADAS are the main reasons for this difference.

Abe: Can you tell us about the applications and market needs regarding trends in power semiconductors outside of mobility?

Minamikawa: After mobility, the next promising market is renewable energy. For example, converters are power semiconductors necessary for solar power transmission and power storage. Another promising market is motors for mobility other than cars, such as airplanes and ships, as a result of the shift from internal combustion engines.

In addition, smart homes and smart buildings are also promising. Power semiconductors will play an active role in making the functions of homes and buildings smarter and reducing CO2 emissions and power consumption.

Sensors can detect when no one is present and automatically dim the lights or adjust the temperature settings of the air conditioner.

Abe: That is a topic close to home.

As a side note, the new building of TANAKA Precious Metals, which was relocated in April 2024, has been recognized for reducing the energy consumption required in the previous building by 51%, meeting the “ZEB (Zero Energy Building) ready” standards.

Abe: Can you tell us about the trends in data centers, which have recently been a hot topic due to their power consumption?

Minamikawa: That is an important point. Generative AI is said to have the same magnitude of impact as when the Internet was first introduced. The Internet has changed the way we live and work, and generative AI is likely to do the same thing.

Currently, GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft) are carrying out extensive machine learning in their own data centers to bring generative AI services to a generally usable level.

For example, one AI data center for learning uses about half the electricity of a nuclear power plant. It is likely that the next two to three years will see a rush to construct data centers. Currently, approximately 5% of the world’s total electricity consumption is for data centers, but this is expected to rise to approximately 8% by 2030.

A 3% increase is by no means small. If there is no margin for balance between supply and demand of electricity, power outages will be more likely to occur, and countries will be affected. That is why power reduction is an important technical issue.

Abe: Does that mean that learning generative AI requires a huge amount of power because of the many arithmetic processes?

Minamikawa: Of course, but about 30% to 40% of total electricity is used for cooling the heat generated.
Both air- and water- cooling systems require motors, the rotation of which is controlled by power semiconductors. In addition, because data centers consume large amounts of electricity, their power supply is large, and the AC and Dc currents are constantly being converted.

Power conversion efficiency is currently said to be 95% to 96 %, and about 5% is lost as heat. Raising this power conversion efficiency is one of the technical issues for power semiconductors.

next page Next-generation power semiconductors…

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