ChargeWheel
For data center operators

AC brownfield. 800V DC at the rack.

In 90 days — not the next decade. UpGrid is a modular BESS that plugs into the 415V service already at your site and delivers native 800V DC directly to the rack — NVIDIA's reference architecture, behind the meter, without a transformer order or interconnect queue.

AC brownfield · 800V DCLive
AC drop
existing 415V service
already at your site · steps 1–3
AC in
UpGrid cabinet
186–373 kWh · native 800V DC
what you add · replaces 4–6 + UPS + diesel
800V DC
800V DC AI rack
NVIDIA HVDC reference
what plugs in · steps 7–12
90d
to live
2.5×
rack density
AHJ
ready day one
What you're not buying

The equipment list you skip.

A greenfield 800V DC build threads power through five more subsystems between the utility and the rack. On an AC brownfield, UpGrid collapses that scope into one cabinet behind your existing service — so the line items below never enter your capex plan or AHJ packet.

Skipped

New MV transformer

Existing 415V service

Your site is already energized, already approved. No 24-month transformer order.

Skipped

MV → 800V DC rectifier farm

UpGrid SiC PCS

AC-to-800V DC conversion happens inside the cabinet. No separate rectifier yard.

Skipped

800V DC switchgear room

Integrated protection

DC switching, metering, and isolation integrated into the cabinet footprint.

Skipped

Standalone UPS

Supercap + multi-hour LFP

Sub-millisecond ride-through plus multi-hour backup in the same unit.

Skipped

Diesel backup + fuel yard

Long-duration LFP

No gen-set, no tanks, no fuel contracts, no air permit cycle.

Skipped

Interconnect upgrade

Behind the meter

Everything stays on your side of the service entrance. No new service application, no utility queue.

What you get

Three wins on the same system.

UpGrid hits three places in your P&L at once: demand-charge reduction on today's bill, new racks on your existing service, and compute revenue captured years ahead of the utility timeline.

Layer 1 · Operating cost

Demand-charge savings

Peak-shave the existing connection — typical 10 MW campus saves ~$960K/yr at $20/kW·mo.

Layer 2 · Revenue

Capacity multiplication

2.5× rack count behind the same meter. +125 racks on a 10 MW / 120 kW-per-rack campus ≈ $33M/yr unlocked GPU revenue.

Layer 3 · Time

Time-to-revenue

Deploy 4+ years earlier than the utility timeline. Compounds across the full facility lifetime.

System architecture

12 line items collapse to 3.

The industry-reference 800V DC greenfield path runs through 12 subsystems from utility to processor. On an AC brownfield, UpGrid keeps what's already on your site (steps 1–3) and what already lives inside the rack (steps 7–12) — and replaces everything in between with one cabinet. Full cabinet specs on UpGrid BESS.

Utility → processor
Greenfield 800V DC · vs · UpGrid brownfield
12
Greenfield 800V DC build
utility to processor · every line item
Already on site
brownfield gives you these
01
Utility grid
69–230 kV AC
02
MV transformer
4.16–34.5 kV AC
03
MV switchgear
4.16–34.5 kV AC
Eliminated by UpGrid
not in your capex plan
04
MV → 800V DC rectifier
800V DC
05
800V DC switchgear
800V DC
06
800V DC distribution bus
800V DC
Inside the AI rack
unchanged from greenfield
07
Rack power cabinet
800V DC
08
DC distribution unit
800V DC
09
Power shelf / PSU
12V DC
10
DC distribution board
12V / 3.3V DC
11
VRM
0.7–1.2V DC
12
GPU / processor
~0.8V DC
3
UpGrid brownfield retrofit
behind the meter · 90 days to live
01

Existing 415V service

Already energized, already approved.

Keeps greenfield steps 1–3
02

UpGrid cabinet

Native 800V DC behind the meter.

Replaces greenfield 4–6 + UPS + diesel
03

800V DC AI rack

NVIDIA HVDC reference.

Contains greenfield steps 7–12
12 → 3line items

Primary subsystems between the utility and the processor.

5subsystems deleted

Rectifier farm, DC switchgear, DC bus, UPS, diesel.

1cabinet · vendor · contract

Same service in. 800V DC to the rack out.

Your savings

Model your rack.

See how much DC power UpGrid delivers from your existing AC feed — and how many years of interconnect wait you skip. Defaults reflect a 60 kW AC rack input and typical 2.5× amplification.

Your inputs
60 kW

Existing AC service per rack position

2.5×

Effective DC output / AC input · 2.5× typical for AI training

4.0 yr

Years saved vs waiting for utility upgrade

Estimated impact
Rack DC output
60 kW
150kW
AC in · 2.5× amplification · 800V DC out
Time saved
4.0
yr
Deploy now · skip the interconnect queue
Or email these results directly
Next step

Get a system spec for your campus.

Share your grid connection, target rack count, and timeline. You'll get a deployment plan, single-line diagram, and unit economics within a week.

Your note routes straight to our engineering team.

FAQ

Questions data center operators ask.

If we missed yours, bring it to a working session with our engineering team.

Can UpGrid power 800V DC AI racks without a utility upgrade?
Yes. UpGrid BESS plugs into your existing 415V AC service and delivers native 800V DC, matching NVIDIA's HVDC reference architecture — no extra rectifier stage. Today's AC-input AI racks also work via the cabinet's AC tap. Either way, you can add AI capacity without waiting in the utility interconnect queue or replacing your transformer — existing CPU workloads keep running.
Why does 800V HVDC matter for AI data center power?
GPUs are DC loads. The utility is AC. Every conversion stage between them burns 2–5% of your power bill. NVIDIA announced 800V HVDC as the reference architecture for AI factories in May 2025; UpGrid was built native to 800V so there's no inverter penalty between battery and rack.
What's the deployment timeline for a campus retrofit?
About 90 days from purchase order to commissioning for standard cabinet counts (≤8) on a pre-permitted site. Larger campuses or new permits add 30–60 days. Week 0–3: site survey and single-line diagram. Week 3–10: cabinet manufacturing and AHJ permit submittal (UL 1973 + 9540A documentation pre-packaged). Week 10–13: pad, conduit, AC tie-in, commissioning. Existing workloads keep running throughout.
What certifications cover UpGrid for US + Canada commercial deployment?
UL 1973 for battery safety, UL 9540A for fire propagation (tested at unit level — no module-to-module thermal-runaway propagation per the 9540A summary report), NFPA 855 setback documentation included with every system spec, and CSA C22.2 #346 for Canadian AHJ approval. Plan reviews typically complete in days, not months.