Reducing carbon footprint in data centers: an Interivew with Aiden Oh

As the world increasingly relies on AI, climate experts note the growing concern of the carbon footprint produced by such AI data centers. Yet, technology is also continuously evolving to adapt to the need for more efficient data centers that operate on renewable energy. In this interview, Aiden Oh from Absolix discussed energy savings achievable in data centers and renewable energy usage involved in manufacturing its glass substrates products.

What kind of company is Absolix?

Absolix is a company currently manufacturing glass substrates for semiconductors in the United States. This product ultimately goes into AI data centers. For example, you have semiconductor chips, right? Well, the substrate is what holds those chips in place and connects them to other components. You can think of us as a company producing these substrates domestically in the US.

You mentioned manufacturing semiconductor glass substrates. Could you explain why this plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry and what exactly it is?

Yes, students these days use YouTube, Instagram, and such platforms extensively, right? Well, this product is used in semiconductors deployed within data centers—the very facilities where all these services like YouTube and AI are utilized. And these products are currently a major focus for the US, which is making significant efforts to produce them domestically. Absolix is also part of that effort, planning to start production in the US. For our company, this means we're working very closely with the US government. They're providing substantial support, including subsidies for building our factory.

This seems like an increasingly important business. Compared to conventional semiconductor-based products, what advantages does it offer in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact?

For this product, the substrate used to be primarily plastic or silicon-based. We've changed the material and now use glass. Based on our simulation results, we've found that compared to existing substrates, our substrate achieves approximately a 40% reduction in power consumption.

What specific efforts are you making to reduce carbon emissions during the product manufacturing process?

Earlier, I explained the energy savings achievable in data centers when using our product. Your current question seems to ask about the energy efficiency and renewable energy usage involved in manufacturing our product itself. In our case, we are collaborating with local energy providers to utilize renewable energy. Secondly, we have a plan to transition 100% of all energy used for our operations and factory running to renewable energy by 2035. This is one key pillar of our strategy to expand renewable energy use. The second approach is finding ways to reduce energy consumption itself. We are actively exploring this direction, such as making machinery more efficient to reduce energy consumption.

You mentioned increasing renewable energy use. Since renewable energy isn't fully developed yet, are there challenges arising from that?

First, in Georgia, where I currently work, using renewable energy isn't mandatory yet. For instance, in Korea, the use of renewable energy is highly mandated, and I understand there are numerous related systems and laws for both suppliers and users. 

However, in Georgia, such laws aren't actively enforced or codified. This meant we users initially faced difficulties having to find these regulations ourselves and then identify who the suppliers actually were. For instance, in Georgia, there's a power supplier called Georgia Power. We had to personally research what renewable energy services they offered. Then, we collaborated with them to figure out how to expand renewable energy utilization. 

Anyway, as far as I know, laws differ by state in the US. So, without this kind of legal framework in place, there were quite a few difficulties in expanding renewable energy.

Do you think that if environmental regulations or legal frameworks were further established in other aspects of the production process for other products besides renewable energy, it would also have a positive impact on developing good technologies?

Yes, absolutely. As I explained earlier, we are already working to improve energy efficiency in our production processes to reduce overall energy consumption. I believe these efforts can ultimately connect to expanding renewable energy.

Looking at the global semiconductor market, how do you feel environmental regulations or ESG requirements influence the direction of technology development?

I believe they are extremely important. As mentioned earlier, our glass substrates are used in data centers. However, data centers consume enormous amounts of energy. While using data centers provides convenience to people, it ultimately creates problems that are far removed from environmental protection.

Therefore, by rapidly adopting our glass substrate technology, data centers can achieve approximately 40% better energy efficiency compared to current systems, as mentioned earlier. Utilizing our product to reduce data center energy consumption would significantly enhance environmental protection and related aspects.

Working overseas, do you notice any differences in environmental regulations between Korea and other countries?

The difference is quite significant. As mentioned earlier, Korea has very well-established legislation for these matters. The government and businesses are now moving as one, united by a common goal, actively implementing ESG initiatives. However, in the US, ESG is currently implemented on a state-by-state basis, meaning many areas lack formal legislation. Consequently, the differences between Korea and the US are substantial. I believe the US urgently needs to establish legislation to accelerate the adoption and expansion of ESG policies.