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Renesas’ approach to rising AI and data-center power demand is to combine digital power controllers with smart power stages, discrete devices, software and modeling—not rely on a single component category. That strategy, the company’s expansion into power products, and the infrastructure pressures behind it were discussed by Renesas vice president Ivo Marocco on an EE Times PowerUP episode published June 28, 2024.
How has Renesas built out its power business?
Marocco described a deliberate expansion beyond Renesas’ earlier strength in automotive microcontrollers, using acquisitions alongside internal development to grow its analog, connectivity and power capabilities. He cited Intersil in 2017, followed by IDT and Dialog; later moves included Altium and the Transphorm acquisition referenced in the episode.
Renesas also reorganized around technology and product areas, with a dedicated Power business unit alongside embedded processing/high-performance compute and analog/connectivity groups. Marocco said the structure is intended to support reuse of intellectual property, faster development of product derivatives, lower costs and greater scale.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhat does Renesas offer for AI and data-center power?
The portfolio Marocco described covers several parts of power management and conversion, rather than one AI-specific chip:
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- Controllers and power management: voltage regulators, low-dropout regulators (LDOs), controllers, power-management ICs (PMICs) and multi-phase digital controllers.
- Power delivery and switching: smart power stages, drivers, MOSFETs and IGBTs.
- Battery and newer semiconductor technologies: battery-management systems (BMS), silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices.
- Design support: software, custom tools and modeling.
For AI infrastructure specifically, Marocco said Renesas was building on its history in digital controllers for computing. The company’s stated plan was to add multi-phase controllers, smart power stages and discrete power devices, supported by software and modeling, to address increasing power density. The episode presents this as Renesas’ strategy; it does not provide a competitor scorecard or independently verified market-share comparison.
How much power might AI chips need?
Marocco forecast that power consumption per AI system-on-chip could grow from “a few hundred” watts through the end of 2023 to more than 3 kW by 2030. He characterized the change over roughly five years as a 10-to-20-fold increase. These are the guest’s estimates in a June 2024 interview, not measurements of every AI chip or a guarantee that future products will reach that level.
He also estimated that the AI power serviceable available market (SAM), spanning client infrastructure and cloud, would grow at a 40%–50% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030 and reach $3.5 billion in 2030. Marocco said these estimates drew on market reports and Renesas’ internal research; the episode does not present them as independently audited figures.
Why are SiC and GaN part of the discussion?
Marocco framed SiC and GaN as part of Renesas’ wider power strategy and supply planning. In the June 2024 episode, he discussed a partnership with Wolfspeed and said Renesas planned to begin six-inch planar SiC production at the end of 2024 while diversifying supply. That was a stated target at the time of the interview; the episode does not establish whether the target was subsequently achieved.
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He described GaN as complementary to Renesas’ controllers, drivers and AC/DC products, with combined solutions intended to support adoption. His point was that devices alone are not enough: “GaN needs an ecosystem to thrive.” The episode does not quantify GaN or SiC performance improvements for a particular data-center design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can the power grid support AI and EV growth?
Marocco identified the grid as a key constraint beyond the components inside a server. In his view, growing electricity demand from AI and vehicle electrification increases the need for generation, transmission, charging infrastructure and smarter grid systems. He said, “The challenging point where we have to put our focus, our efforts collectively is going to be on the grid, definitely.” The discussion raises this as a systems-level challenge, but does not quantify the capacity shortfall or prescribe a specific grid investment plan.
Who took part in the episode?
The 24-minute, 58-second EE Times PowerUP episode was published June 28, 2024. Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, editor-in-chief of Power Electronics News and EEWeb and an EE Times correspondent, hosted the conversation with Ivo Marocco, Renesas vice president responsible for worldwide Business Development, Systems and Solution Marketing for the Power Business Unit.
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