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Hanwha selected for "Next Big Things in Tech 2026" hosted by U.S. business magazine Fast Company. / Hanwha

Hanwha has gained technical recognition in the U.S. for its energy management technology that leverages AI to cut data center electricity operating costs by up to 25 percent. Amid mounting concerns over massive power consumption driven by the proliferation of AI data centers, the technology integrates power generation facilities, energy storage systems (ESS), and cooling equipment into a unified setup to efficiently allocate limited power supplies.

According to Hanwha on the 7th, Energy Fluo™, an AI-based energy management system developed by Transgrid Energy, a subsidiary of Hanwha Futureproof, was selected in the Applied AI category of Fast Company's "Next Big Things in Tech 2026," hosted by the U.S. business innovation outlet.

Energy Fluo™ regulates energy consumption by analyzing the real-time electrical conditions across data center infrastructure, encompassing electrical facilities, ESS, cooling equipment, and IT systems. Rather than merely trimming power draw from individual devices, it delivers unified management under a single system that incorporates power generation, storage, and consumption facilities while factoring in shifting external conditions. Hanwha explained that electricity operating costs can be reduced by 5 to 25 percent depending on site conditions.

In particular, the system utilizes machine learning and large language models (LLMs) to monitor data center conditions autonomously, diagnosing root causes if issues arise and suggesting countermeasures to optimize power consumption. Fast Company also highlighted an adoption case where Prime Group deployed the technology in building a nationwide edge data center footprint across the U.S.

Safety considerations surrounding AI exercising direct control over data center operations were also reinforced. Energy Fluo™ secured UL 315 certification, a safety standard for AI technology, this past March. The system is designed so that while AI proposes optimal energy usage strategies, human operators retain final control over key decisions.

With electricity demand from data centers soaring, Hanwha is developing Energy Fluo™ not merely as an energy-saving solution, but as a broader technology that elevates the overall efficiency of power infrastructure. The approach flexibly distributes power to data center equipment, such as servers, within limited capacity envelopes while providing unified control over multiple power and cooling facilities.

Park Young-chun, CEO of Transgrid Energy, said, "Fragmented, piecemeal management approaches can no longer cope with the extreme complexity of today's data center power grids," adding, "Energy Fluo™ helps flexibly channel more power into operating data center equipment within finite limits and enables integrated oversight across entire facilities."

Transgrid Energy develops and operates power facilities, ESS, and related infrastructure targeting large-scale power-consuming assets, including data centers, in the U.S. Fast Company's "Next Big Things in Tech" annually honors technologies set to impact future industries and society across 31 categories, with Google, Volvo, and Samsung Electronics named to the list last year.

                                                                                                           Lee Seo-yeon