Vector Photonics attends COP26 reception
Company uses occasion to talk about data centre electricity consumption
Vector Photonics attended a prestigious investment leader’s reception at the COP26, Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this week, with His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. The invitation to the event came from Douglas Hansen-Luke, chairman of Future Planet Capital - an equity investor in Vector Photonics.
Future Planet Capital invests in ‘high-growth-potential’ companies emanating from the world's top research centres, but with green credentials.
Neil Martin, CEO of Vector Photonics, said: “Future Planet Capital invited Vector Photonics to the COP26 reception, as one of Britain’s most impactful and investible companies, totally aligned with their investment strategy. It was also a privilege to join HRH, The Prince of Wales, at the reception, as a long-term environmental ambassador.
“We used the opportunity to highlight that data centres consume around 5 percent of the world’s electricity right now and that this figure is growing with ever-increasing internet use. It equates to the same consumption, annually, as the entire UK! We also showed that 40 percent of the electricity used by data centres is to cool their optical communications networks and servers.
“Current semiconductor laser technology is a big contributor to the problem, as the power needed to deliver the necessary optical performance creates a huge amount of heat, which must be cooled. Vector Photonics’ semiconductor lasers need just half the power for the equivalent optical performance. This saves electricity directly; reduces the heat generated in the optics; and halves the power needed for cooling. We estimate our lasers could reduce annual data centre electricity use by the equivalent of all of the electricity used in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each year, combined.”
