Revolutionizing AI Factory Design: ETAP and Schneider Electric Introduce World’s First Grid-to-Chip Digital Twin Powered by NVIDIA Omniverse
In a groundbreaking development, Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, has partnered with ETAP, a pioneer in power system design and operation, to unveil the world’s first digital twin capable of simulating the power needs of AI factories from the grid level down to individual chips. Leveraging the NVIDIA Omniverse™ Blueprint for AI factory digital twins, this collaboration marks a transformative leap in how data centers are designed, managed, and optimized for the demands of artificial intelligence workloads.
The Power of Digital Twins for AI Factories
The integration of ETAP’s advanced modeling technology with NVIDIA Omniverse enables the creation of a comprehensive digital twin that seamlessly combines inputs from mechanical, thermal, networking, and electrical systems. This virtual replica provides an unparalleled view into the intricate dynamics of AI factory operations, offering unprecedented insights into power consumption, distribution, and efficiency. By simulating real-world scenarios, businesses can now achieve enhanced control over their electrical systems, unlocking significant gains in efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
Key capabilities of the new digital twin include:
- Advanced Electrical System Design and Simulation: Create precise models of data center electrical infrastructures to optimize performance and reliability.
- Dynamic “What-If” Scenario Analysis: Simulate various operational conditions to predict outcomes and identify potential risks.
- Real-Time Performance Tracking: Monitor electrical infrastructure performance in real time to ensure optimal operation.
- Energy Efficiency Optimization: Identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and improve sustainability.
- Predictive Maintenance and Reliability Assessment: Proactively address potential issues to minimize downtime and extend system life.
- Infrastructure Planning Based on Power Usage: Optimize resource allocation to reduce total cost of ownership and enhance scalability.
Addressing the Growing Power Demands of AI Workloads
AI workloads, particularly those involving model training and complex inference processes, are driving a dramatic increase in data center power consumption. Unlike traditional computing tasks, AI operations require substantial computational power, leading to higher rack densities and more demanding power requirements. As AI adoption accelerates across startups, enterprises, colocation providers, and internet giants, rethinking data center design and management has become imperative.
The “Grid to Chip” approach introduced by ETAP and NVIDIA addresses these challenges head-on. While current data center operators can estimate average power consumption at the rack level, ETAP’s digital twin takes precision to the next level by modeling dynamic load behavior at the chip level. This granular insight allows for more accurate power system design, improved energy efficiency, and better alignment with the evolving demands of AI workloads.
A Collaborative Vision for the Future
This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of ETAP, Schneider Electric, and NVIDIA to drive innovation in the data center sector. By combining expertise in electrical engineering, advanced virtualization, and AI technologies, the partnership is creating a new paradigm for infrastructure management.
“As AI workloads grow in complexity and scale, precise power management is critical to ensuring efficiency, reliability, and sustainability,” said Dion Harris, Senior Director of HPC and AI Factory Solutions at NVIDIA. “Through our collaboration with ETAP and Schneider Electric, we’re offering data center operators unprecedented visibility and control over power dynamics, empowering them to optimize their infrastructure and accelerate AI adoption while enhancing operational resilience.”
Tanuj Khandelwal, CEO of ETAP, emphasized the transformative nature of this initiative: “This collaboration represents more than just a technological solution. We’re fundamentally reimagining how data centers can be designed, managed, and optimized in the AI era. By bridging electrical engineering with advanced virtualization and AI technologies, we’re creating a new paradigm for infrastructure management.”
Pankaj Sharma, Executive Vice President for Data Centers, Networks & Services at Schneider Electric, added, “Collaboration, speed, and innovation are the driving forces behind the digital infrastructure transformation required to accommodate AI workloads. Together, ETAP, Schneider Electric, and NVIDIA are not just advancing data center technology — we’re empowering businesses to optimize operations and seamlessly navigate the power requirements of AI.”
Why This Matters for the Industry
The introduction of this digital twin comes at a pivotal moment for the data center industry. With AI driving exponential growth in computational demands, the need for efficient and reliable power management has never been greater. Traditional approaches to data center design and operation are no longer sufficient to meet the unique challenges posed by AI workloads.
By providing a holistic view of power dynamics—from the grid to individual chips—this solution empowers data center operators to make informed decisions that enhance performance, reduce costs, and improve sustainability. Furthermore, it lays the foundation for a future where AI factories can scale efficiently without compromising reliability or environmental impact.
