Can Solar + Storage Meets the Needs of AI Datacenters
Over the past decade, U.S. commercial solar energy has surged dramatically. Installed solar energy capacity has grown nearly 24-fold since 2010, driven by declining costs, strong policy support, and a corporate shift toward clean energy (EcoFlow, 2024). In 2023, solar installations reached a record high, with businesses across all industries, including datacenters, leaning on solar power to reduce emissions and energy expenses (SEIA, 2024). As the solar boom continues, it’s becoming a foundational element for even the most energy-intensive sectors.
The AI Datacenter Boom: Skyrocketing Power Demand
Leading global tech giants like Google, OpenAI, NVIDIA, and xAI are rapidly building commercial datacenters around the world. These facilities demand extraordinary and constant power—far more than traditional server farms. This explosive growth puts strain on electric grids, raising concerns about reliability, pricing, and carbon emissions (NY Times, 2024).
Recent AI datacenter power consumption data reveals:
- U.S. datacenters now consume more electricity than aluminum, steel, cement, and chemical manufacturing combined (IEA, 2024).
- Global datacenter electricity use is expected to more than double from 2023, reaching 945 TWh by 2030, with the U.S. driving nearly half of that growth (IEA, 2024).
- In 2024, commercial computing (including AI workloads) comprised 8% of total commercial electricity; this could rise to 20% by 2050 (U.S. EIA, 2024).
- U.S. datacenters may use 88 TWh annually – about 1.6 times the electricity use of New York City (Columbia SIPA, 2024).
- AI-focused datacenters surged from 2 TWh in 2017 to 40 TWh in 2023 (DevSustainability, 2024).
- Some global AI campuses consume up to 300 MW—equivalent to a small city—and are planning to exceed 1 GW by 2026 (Tom’s Hardware, 2025).
International Solar + Storage Corporate Model: Google’s Global Clean Energy Push
Tech leaders aren’t just building big in the U.S.—they’re also bringing renewable power to datacenters worldwide. In Belgium, Google added a 2.8 MW solar plant on-site at its Saint-Ghislain datacenter, using over 10,000 panels to cut grid demand and CO₂ output (Google Sustainability, 2017) . In Denmark, a 54.5 MW solar site helps supply power to Google’s Fredericia facility, part of a strategy to deliver carbon-free energy across all operational hours (Google operating sustainably).
And, in the UAE, OpenAI plans a massive 5 GW datacenter campus in Abu Dhabi to include solar and storage to meet national clean energy goals (OpenTools.ai, 2025). These global deployments signal that solar + storage is essential to support AI-scale energy needs across different regions.
Solar + Storage: A Reliable Power Solution
For AI datacenters, solar arrays must be paired with energy storage to meet their demanding needs. Here’s why solar + storage is critical:
- Continuous, high-density power: Paired systems deliver reliable energy 24/7, even during low sunlight.
- Backup resilience: Batteries keep operations running during outages, protecting delicate equipment.
- Grid peak relief: Storage reduces reliance on grid energy during peak pricing.
- Sustainability alignment: Reduces reliance on fossil-fueled backup generators.
The Sol-Ark® Solution: 60K Commercial Hybrid Inverter + L3 Series BESS
Sol-Ark’s 60K‑3P‑480V Commercial Hybrid Inverter is designed to handle large AI datacenter loads. Paired with the Sol-Ark® L3 Series LimitLess Lithium BESS, the system provides quick (<5 ms) transfer times and sophisticated fire‑safety measures including automatic inert gas suppression, zone thermal monitoring, isolating valves, and UL 9540A certification for thermal runaway protection (Sol‑Ark, 2025). These features safeguard critical AI hardware and data from fire risk.
- Native 277/480 V three-phase output
- Scalability—supports up to 10 inverters in parallel and 16 battery modules per unit
- Modular storage from 40 kWh to 9.6 MWh
Incentives Under the “Big, Beautiful Bill”: Post July 4, 2025
The July 4, 2025 legislation package, the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, phased out some residential incentives but preserved key commercial benefits. CFOs, Operation Directors, and Facility Managers should expedite project starts to capture incentives before the end‑2025 deadlines.
- 45Y Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC): remains available for qualifying commercial solar-plus-storage projects begun by 2026 (Holland & Knight, 2025)
- Section 179D Deductions: continue to support energy-efficient commercial buildings, including those installing on-site storage (Frost Brown Todd, 2025).
FAQs: Solar + Storage for AI Datacenters
Q1: Why can’t datacenters rely just on solar panels?
Solar panels produce power only with sunlight. Batteries ensure constant power—even at night or during cloudy periods.
Q2: What makes Sol-Ark’s L3 Series safer?
It has automated inert gas fire suppression, module-level isolation valves, and full UL 9540A certification to quickly detect and extinguish thermal events.
Q3: Can international datacenters qualify for U.S. incentives?
No. U.S. tax credits like PTC apply only to projects within the U.S. International operations must seek local or project-based funding.
Q4: How fast can Sol-Ark systems switch over during outages?
They switch in under 5 milliseconds—fast enough to maintain power without interrupting sensitive AI processes.
Q5: Are datacenter operators already building renewables on-site?
Yes. Google is developing co‑located solar + storage parks in the U.S. and Europe; OpenAI is planning a 5 GW solar‑backed campus in Abu Dhabi; xAI in Texas consumes ~250 MW with battery backup (Tom’s Hardware, 2025; Reuters, 2025; OpenTools.ai, 2025)
References
Columbia SIPA. (2024). Projecting the electricity demand growth of generative AI large-language models in the US. https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/projecting-the-electricity-demand-growth-of-generative-ai-large-language-models-in-the-us/
DevSustainability. (2024). Data center energy and AI in 2025. https://www.devsustainability.com/p/data-center-energy-and-ai-in-2025
EcoFlow. (2024, February 28). Is Solar Power Still Growing in the US? https://www.ecoflow.com/us/blog/is-solar-power-still-growing-in-us
Frost Brown Todd. (2025). One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts the power phase-outs, foreign-entity restrictions, and domestic content in clean energy credits. https://frostbrowntodd.com/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-cuts-the-power-phase%E2%80%91outs-foreign%E2%80%91entity-restrictions-and-domestic-content-in-clean%E2%80%91energy-credits/
Google Sustainability. (2017). Belgium solar project. https://sustainability.google/operating-sustainably/stories/belgium-solar/
Holland & Knight. (2025). Senate moves to scale back clean energy tax credits: Latest updates. https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/06/senate-moves-to-scale-back-clean-energy-tax-credits-latest-updates
International Energy Agency (IEA). (2024). AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centers while offering the potential to transform how the energy sector works. https://www.iea.org/news/ai-is-set-to-drive-surging-electricity-demand-from-data-centres-while-offering-the-potential-to-transform-how-the-energy-sector-works
OpenTools.ai. (2025). OpenAI partners with UAE for massive 5-gigawatt data center in Abu Dhabi. https://opentools.ai/news/openai-partners-with-uae-for-massive-5-gigawatt-data-center-in-abu-dhabi
pv magazine. (2025, Jan 27). Trump’s $500 billion AI datacenter project expected to be powered by solar. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/01/27/trumps-500-billion-ai-datacenter-project-expected-to-be-powered-by-solar/
Tom’s Hardware. (2025). https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/openais-gargantuan-data-center-is-even-bigger-than-elon-musks-xai-colossus-worlds-largest-300-mw-ai-data-center-in-texas-could-reach-record-1-gigawatt-scale-by-next-year
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2024). Electricity use for commercial computing could surpass 20% by 2050. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65564