Rittal at the 2026 OCP Global Summit: New Architecture for Extreme Power Densities
October 13, 2026
Artificial intelligence changes the benchmarks in data centers. Greater computing power and rapidly increasing power densities are placing new requirements on cooling and power supply. The required scalability calls for infrastructure that can be industrialized and planned, integrated, and operated as a system. At the OCP Global Summit 2026 in San José (October 12–15), Rittal will showcase an architecture that incorporates rack, direct liquid cooling, and DC power supply into a single system within a very compact space.
For the 800-volt power supply, it relies on power electronics from Bosch. The solution is designed for high-performance AI and high-performance computing applications based on open OCP architectures.
The technological leap lies in the architecture: Cooling, rack, and power supply are integrated so closely mechanically and functionally that megawatt-range computing power can be standardized and accommodated within a few square meters. This reduces losses, enables the system to be scaled up, and simplifies service. The technologies used for this are proven. Rittal is transferring its established system approach to the new power class and is combining it with specialist partners’ tested technologies.
Megawatt power becomes a reproducible system
The focus is on the design of a compact infrastructure pod that directly integrates high-performance racks, direct water-based chip cooling, and power distribution. Over a megawatt of IT power can therefore be provided within a few square meters. The power density of upcoming AI applications concentrates the energy requirement of an entire residential district within a few square meters. However, this concentration calls for new cooling dimensions and a secure power supply, as well as mechanical integration that ensures fast data transfer, at the same time guaranteeing stability and reliability. Rittal’s RiMatrix HPC solution organizes these functions in bayed OCP racks: a central Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), high-performance racks for the computing modules, and a power sidecar for converting and distributing direct current directly adjacent to the IT. This produces a scalable unit, oriented toward OCP specifications, that supports the transition to 800 V DC infrastructures.
“AI data centers need a white space architecture that can be scaled to an industrial size,” explains Philipp Guth, CTO at Rittal: “Our task is to combine the operational technology with a rack, cooling, and power supply as a reliable, scalable modular system. In doing this, we deliberately rely on open standards, in-house system expertise, and experienced technology partners. This results in an infrastructure designed for extreme power density, which can be planned, reproduced, and used worldwide.”
800 V technology with Bosch
Rittal is working with experienced partners for the power supply, whose technologies have already proven themselves in demanding applications. At the OCP Global Summit, Rittal is showcasing its Power Sidecar as a development demonstrator, featuring high-power-density power electronics from Bosch. These are based on the 800-volt technology that Bosch manufactures in series for electric vehicles and are being further developed for continuous operation in data centers. Higher voltage enables higher power transmission at the same current, as well as more compact and powerful components. The modular concept is designed to provide scalable power supply solutions of up to 2 MW. Rittal is integrating this technology together with its RiLineX busbar platform into an 800 VDC sidecar architecture oriented to OCP standards.
“Efficient, reliable power electronics at industrial scale is a core Bosch competence – and exactly what AI data centers need,” says Bruno Ahrens, Senior Vice President, AI Data Center Power Infrastructure at Bosch. “E-mobility has been our proving ground: more than 200 gigawatts of cumulative rated power since 2010, and 800-volt technology in high-volume production since 2023. We are now deliberately bringing this expertise into the power supply of AI data centers. Our collaboration with Rittal is an important part of our broader engagement in this ecosystem. Rittal and Bosch are a natural fit: Rittal brings system expertise in racks, cooling and integration, Bosch the power electronics.”
Rittal developed the Coolant Distribution Unit itself. It provides over a megawatt of water-based cooling output for direct chip cooling and relies on modular units that can be replaced in ongoing operation. Together with the OCP racks and the power sidecar, this creates a complete architecture comprising proven modules. Furthermore, it reduces technical risks and provides a solid foundation which allows to design and scale the AI infrastructure more quickly, and service it in ongoing operation with known data center processes.
Rittal is joining proven expertise and concepts for advanced purposes with this combination of standardized racks, cooling, and power. As a long-standing member of the Open Compute Project, the system technology specialist has driven forward the development of the Open Rack V3 and its predecessor, and is one of the world’s largest rack suppliers to hyperscalers. Rittal has already established its system approach for fast scalability from standardized, tested modules for the key pillars of data center OT in the global IT market. The new concept now extends this approach to AI-era power densities, combining it with many years of direct current expertise from industrial applications. Rittal is meeting the growing market with the expansion of its production capacities. Factories in Europe and the USA are being successively expanded with a €100 million investment.
Presentations and Sessions
Andy Gill (Rittal):
A System Approach to AI Infrastructure
Monday, October 12, 2026, 1:40 p.m. PDT, SJCC, Concourse Level, 210CG
Cecilia Galvan (Meta), Richard Banyard (Rittal):
Open Rack Wide (ORW): Progress, Validation, and What’s Next
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 8:20 a.m. PDT, SJCC, Concourse Level, 230A
Sven Finke (Bosch), Justin Mark Herrmann (Rittal):
Powering the AI Rack of the Future: A Scalable 800 VDC Sidecar Architecture
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 9:45 a.m. PDT, SJCC, Concourse Level, 230A
