Ethernetics, a pioneering company in sustainable IT solutions, is addressing the critical challenge of escalating electricity consumption in the data centre industry. Our mission is to reduce electricity consumption at data centres in line with our tagline, ‘Decarbonise Data Centres’.

What is the problem we are tackling?
Data centres face what we call a digital dilemma. On one hand, there is an exponential growth in the demand for digital services. With the rapid adoption of AI, this growth is accelerating. A search through ChatGPT requires 13 times more energy than a Google search due to the vast processing power that is needed to run the AI models. Expectations are that this amount will increase to 30 times. On the other hand, the industry, which consumes about 10 billion euros worth of electricity annually in Europe, is under regulatory and societal pressure to enhance efficiency and reduce carbon emissions (by 2030). The volatility of energy prices and the struggle of the power grid to meet the surging demand for digital services are adding to the financial and operational risks.

What is the solution we are offering? Why is it unique and innovative?
Conventional solutions are tackling the symptoms: more efficient processing chips, more cooling, relocating to colder climates, more investments in innovation such as liquid cooling, etc., which all result in hefty investments and capital expenditures. Ethernetics tackles the problem at the ‘source’, to avoid using electricity (rather than increase the remediation afterwards). We have designed an Intelligent Power Distribution Unit (PDU) (= ‘stopcontact’ or ‘price électrique’) to measure and optimise electricity consumption at the most granular level (= the server socket). We are the only company that actively adapts the energy needs and consumption in real time. Our Intelligent PDU is complementary to conventional solutions and easy to deploy (requires no infrastructure investments).

What are the results?
This innovative approach has been tested by Orange Mobile (in France and the Netherlands) and resulted in a savings potential on direct electricity costs of 15% (in optimal conditions). Based on this, Orange Mobile has decided to deploy Ethernetics’ solution across their European data centres. We are currently deploying PoCs to make them applicable to the broader market (with expected savings of 6 to 10% for the base model in any data centre).

Where is Ethernetics going?
Established in 2019, the company navigated early challenges, including the tragic loss of a founder and the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2022, the MVP received CE Certification, whereby Ethernetics was poised for market expansion. Target clients are enterprise data centres, mobile operators, and co-location data centres. The European PDU market is expected to triple by 2030, highlighting the vast potential for Ethernetics’ unique offering. The business model is to use the PDU to enter (and lock in) clients and add subscription-based energy-saving services on top of that. More services will be built, using AI to develop algorithms for preventive maintenance.

In summary, Ethernetics is a company at the intersection of three major trends: the greenification of the economy, the integration of AI, and the expansion of data centres. Its unique, patented technology, market readiness, and commitment to sustainability make it part of the technology solutions for carbon reduction.