Collaborating to Drive Environmental Progress With AMD Technology

AMD collaborates with enterprises, researchers, and others to help them put our technology to work solving some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. By understanding our customers’ computing needs, together we can apply AMD technology to tackle tough challenges like advancing climate research, electrification of vehicles, and power grid resilience.

Climate Research

AMD aims to help researchers better understand the interrelated forces contributing to climate change and develop solutions to help mitigate the impact. By analyzing massive and complex data sets, scientists can gain insights into the causes of climate change and even predict the impact of extreme weather and help save lives.

Climavision uses 3rd Gen AMD EPYC™ processors to bring more data and smarter analysis to weather forecasting. The critical information helps industries like agriculture, transportation, insurance and risk, and renewable energy better prepare for extreme weather events by providing more accurate and timely data.

The AMD-powered LUMI Supercomputer arms climate researchers with cutting-edge computing power in the fight against climate change. Launched in 2022, the Destination Earth initiative aims to build a digital twin of the earth by 2030, down to the square kilometer. The first phase examines impacts from climate change through select use cases such as wildfires, energy grid mix, and urban heat island effect. The streamed climate simulation data can be used in decision-making when planning measures to adapt and mitigate climate change. In 2023, LUMI won the Readers’ Choice Top Energy Efficient HPC Achievement Award from HPC Wire.

Power Grid and Distribution

New approaches are needed to transmit power, incorporate renewable energy, and adapt to increasing extreme weather events disrupting electrical grids. AMD FPGAs and adaptive SoCs are helping to keep the lights on and improve the resilience and security of power grids in the face of increasing risks.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) helps power companies keep the lights on, even in rural areas, with dependable power line protectors for both overhead and underground electrical lines. AMD FPGAs and adaptive SoCs help utilities quickly identify the source of line failures and proactively reduce downtime, thereby delivering reliable performance that helps SEL meet the requirements of its demanding customer base.

Hitachi Energy is developing High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology to enable high efficiency power transmission over long distances. HVDC helps increase energy security by integrating renewable energy sources and connecting remote power grids. AMD FPGAs and adaptive SoCs are used in Hitachi protection and control gear, transformers, switches, and converters, providing the processing power, flexibility, and long lifecycles that enable Hitachi Energy to deliver these systems worldwide.

Electric Vehicles

As the energy transition unfolds, there is a growing role for electric vehicles (EVs) to help reduce carbon emissions. To accommodate this demand, the EV charging infrastructure needs to expand, with more recharging points alongside roadways and in parking areas. These charging stations also need to enable faster, more efficient charging to power the next generation of EVs. This is where AMD technology is making a difference.

Advantech, a leading provider of single-board computers (SBCs) targeted for use in EV charging systems and stations, wanted to develop modular EV chargers for an infrastructure that can be deployed, serviced, and upgraded efficiently and economically. Built on AMD Ryzen™ Embedded R2000 Series processors, Advantech’s Single-Board Computers deliver high-performance compute and graphics versatility, helping system integrators to improve the design and efficiency of Level 3 rapid EV charging systems.

Eco-labels

AMD works closely with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) during product design and after product launch to increase the proportion of products meeting various eco-labels. As companies around the world look to incorporate sustainability requirements into their IT buying decisions, they may use standards such as ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, TCO Certified, and other standards and considerations in their public procurement tenders. Most eco-labels and certifications are evaluated at the system level (i.e., a computer or server), but the processor can contribute to how well a system performs on a given standard.

For example, AMD works with our customers to help improve ENERGY STAR ratings by optimizing processor energy efficiency, as measured at the system level, in conjunction with other components, and peripheral devices. AMD also helps OEMs to meet the system-level eco-label certification EPEAT, which includes environmental criteria such as supply chain greenhouse gas reductions, materials selection, and environmental management system certification.

Learn more at https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/environmental-sustainability.html.

Originally published in AMD 2023-24 Corporate Responsibility Report.