The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published new guidance to help data center developers evaluate direct current (DC) power architectures as artificial intelligence drives demand for higher-density computing and electricity.

The publication, Data Center Design Considerations for Direct Current (DC) Power Systems (NEMA CS 70018-2026), examines the technical requirements, potential efficiency benefits and safety considerations involved in incorporating DC power into data center infrastructure.

Most data centers use alternating current (AC) power distribution, with electricity converted to DC to supply computing equipment. Each conversion introduces energy losses and generates heat that must be managed through cooling systems. DC architectures could reduce the number of conversion stages, potentially improving energy efficiency, lowering operating costs and reducing cooling requirements.

Direct current distribution may also offer advantages for integrating battery energy storage and on-site renewable generation.

The new guidance addresses several considerations for evaluating DC power systems, including:

• Energy efficiency: Opportunities to reduce power conversion losses and associated cooling demands.

• System integration: Connecting DC distribution with computing equipment, battery storage and other facility systems.

• Safety and reliability: DC-rated equipment, fault protection, maintenance and system coordination.

• Deployment considerations: Equipment availability, compatibility with existing infrastructure, installation and long-term operation.

"Every unnecessary power conversion inside a data center represents an opportunity to improve efficiency. And in an energy-intensive AI data center, even modest improvements can add up to significant energy savings," said Patrick Hughes, NEMA senior vice president of strategy, technical and industry affairs.

Hughes said DC architectures present opportunities but also introduce changes to facility design, protection and operation.

"The adoption of DC power architectures requires careful coordination between power distribution equipment, protection systems, energy storage, and computing infrastructure," said Brian Deckard, technical expert at Siemens. "This resource helps the industry align on the technical considerations necessary to improve efficiency while maintaining safety, reliability, and operational resilience."

NEMA CS 70018-2026 is part of the association's growing collection of data center resources supporting the AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework, developed in collaboration with ASHRAE and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The collection also includes guidance on low-voltage distribution equipment (NEMA BS 31061-2026) and data center cooling technologies (NEMA BE 50104-2026). Together, the publications address electrical distribution and cooling as interconnected elements of data center design.

NEMA projects that data center energy consumption could increase as much as 300% over the next decade.

More information is available through NEMA's data center resources.