The transformer is a key component of power delivery, but its core design dates to the 19th century. A number of startups are working to build a better transformer using software-defined power electronics that are ready for the AI era.

One of those companies is DG Matrix. It focuses on solid-state transformers, which are emerging as as a critical piece of the infrastructure for next-generation AI data center. DG Matrix CEO and cofounder Haroon Inam joins us to discuss solid-state transformers, and how a multi-port design can provide new options for savings and efficiency in the data center power chain.

Here's an overview of our conversation:

00:00 - Why Power Transformers Are Ripe for Disruption

01:05 - Haroon Inam's Journey in Power Electronics

04:15 - Types of Transformers and Their Availability

07:15 - Why Multi-Port SSTs Matter

15:00 - How Can SSTs Help Data Centers?

18:00 - The DG Matrix Offering

22:45 - SSTs and the 800 VDC Transition

25:15 - What the 800 VDC Shift May Look Like

32:30 - What Are the Challenges to SST Adoption

37:00 - Partnerships with Exowatt and InfraPartners

40:00 - The Road Ahead for DG Matrix

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

DG Matrix
https://www.dgmatrix.com/

Solid-State Transformers Could Reshape the Future of AI
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/p/solid-state-transformers-could-reshape

Haroon Inam on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harooninam/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

Solid-State Transformers and the Future of AI
https://youtu.be/fyN9_9wz-3M

Exowatt: The Solar Startup Aiming to Transform Data Centers
https://youtu.be/KPdI5OW-TUw?si=8a10IaGZGQAcbWEF

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=u6kDairimGUARt3b

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx

Can electric vehicles, solar panels and smart thermostats in homes help free up more grid power for data centers? This concept that has been turning in recent months as the data center power crunch has become more challenging.

The concept known as a virtual power plant or VPP. It's a collection of small energy sources that are brought together to create a large energy asset, which can be managed to help support the power grid in moments of high usage. The owners of homes and vehicles get paid for the energy they share back to the grid.

Our guest today is Elisa Wood, an expert in distributed energy who can help us understand virtual power plants, and how they work. Elisa has been covering the energy sector for many years. She's the founder of Energy Changemakers, where she reports on the future of distributed energy.

I asked Elisa to join us because in recent months we've seen a growing push to tap unutilized energy that exists on power grids. It turned out to be a timely conversation. Literally while we were taping our podcast, Google announced a groundbreaking deal with VPP provider Voltus Energy, which marks the first time that a data center operator has worked with a VPP provider.

Their agreement is structured as a "Bring Your Own Capacity" deal, which will unlock 100 megawatts of new capacity on the PJM Interconnection, which serves 67 million customers in the Eastern half of the country. The location is notable because the PJM grid is facing capacity constraints, as well as a huge influx of data center projects.

Given the importance of the deal between Google and Voltus, Elisa rejoined me to share her take on the landmark deal and its significance. In today's episode you'll hear parts of both our conversations, which we've edited together to provide a solid understanding of virtual power plants and why they matter.
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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW :

Energy Changemakers (Elisa's Community)
https://energychangemakers.com/

Elisa Wood on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisawood/

Google and Voltus Announce Bring Your Own Capacity Agreement
https://www.voltus.co/press/voltus-google-bring-your-own-capacity-pjm

Voltus Energy
https://www.voltus.co/

RELATED VIDEO:

Voltus: Data Centers Can Bring Their Own Energy
https://youtu.be/pG2vRhn2eTQ?si=8qS5p053oH121i8X

Data Centers, AI and the Future of Power
https://youtu.be/EYo2YK7L5q0?si=8xgKEabduuqwdNzw

Fixing the AI Power Gap
https://youtu.be/uwNa5dZfo90?si=heU4h2wWujvbyK2X

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound.

What's it like to work on the front lines of data center innovation? Google has been a pioneer in the digital economy, and developed many of the innovations that define hyperscale data centers.

Today on Data Center Richness, we discuss what it's like to be building at the leading edge of a massive technology transformation. Our guest is Joe Kava, who led the Google data center team through an amazing phase of growth, both for the company and the data center industry.

Joe retired from Google in 2025, and at the Data Center World 2026 conference, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Today, he's here to share his thoughts on his journey at Google, and what's next for the data center sector.

Here's an overview of my talk with Joe Kava:

00:00 - The Innovation That Defined Hyperscale Computing

01:30 - Joe Kava's Data Center Journey, and How it Led to Google

10:22 - The RagingWire Factor

11:20 - Google Scale - Where No Data Center Had Gone Before

21:00 - The New Economy Rises in the Footprint of the Old

22:20 - Rethinking Everything: Optimizing from Chip to Cloud

30:20 - How PUE Drove Massive Efficiency Gains

31:30 - Google's Leadership on Sustainability

32:50 - DCW and the Lifetime Achievement Award

41:00 - What's Next for the Data Center Industry?

48:30 - The Challenge Ahead - Navigating Amid Community Resistance

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At Data Center Richness we demystify technology and explain why data centers matter, and what comes next for the Internet, cloud computing and AI. Host Rich Miller is a journalist and analyst who has been covering the data center sector for 25 years.

Subscribe to our channel for more insights:
https://www.youtube.com/@DataCenterRichness?sub_confirmation=1

NOW ON SUBSTACK!

Check out the Data Center Richness Substack:
https://datacenterrichness.substack.com/

On the Web:
Data Center Richness
https://datacenterpodcast.com/

LINKS FROM THIS SHOW

How A 'Leap of Faith' Sparked Joe Kava's Data Center Career
https://datacenterworld.com/article/how-a-leap-of-faith-sparked-joseph-kavas-storied-google-data-center-career/

Google Data Centers
https://datacenters.google/

Joe Kava on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkleyman/

Rich Miller on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/datacenterfrontier/

RELATED VIDEOS:

The State of the Data Center 2026
https://youtu.be/NxqFYbuJduY?si=YH2MgxhM7cpREsyV

Verrus is Rethinking The Data Center
https://youtu.be/x9OoLh8UEoc?si=YMkPOqgisOGdWrYw

All video by Data Center Richness.

Supplemental music via Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/60o8qx