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Tue, 22 Sep 2026

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 Will a switch to light speed cut power use at data centres?

To save power and add capacity, data centres are switching from copper wires to tech using light.

* Data centers use around 400 tonnes of copper, with most going into electrical infrastructure and cooling systems.
* Copper usage in data centers is expected to decrease as photonics technology becomes more widespread.
* Photonics uses light to transmit data instead of electrons, reducing heat generation and energy consumption.
* The benefits of photonics include reduced heat, increased capacity, and lower costs.
* However, implementing photonics in data centers requires significant engineering and manufacturing challenges, including thermal management and cost reduction.
* Industry experts predict that photonics will become more mainstream as research and development continue to advance the technology.
* Companies such as Nvidia and HP are already investing in photonics research and development.