Amplicity raises US$1M to put Singapore’s sleeping data centre batteries to work

Singapore's data centers maintain approximately 160 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery capacity on standby, even though blackouts are rare. This excess capacity represents an opportunity for energy technology startup Amplicity, which has raised US$1.01 million in seed funding led by Loyal VC. The company aims to monetize the existing batteries instead of building new ones.

Amplicity's proprietary technology converts idle battery assets into operational energy storage, helping data centers, industrial facilities, and critical infrastructure operators decrease electricity costs, generate recurring revenue, and reduce carbon emissions while maintaining backup requirements. The company estimates that there is about 160 MWh of such capacity in Singapore's data centers alone and around 740 MWh across Asia Pacific.

AMPlicity's platform taps into the capacity above each site's backup reserve, taking into account the operator's limits and enforcing them even if the internet connection drops. By focusing on peak shaving, Amplicity helps large users avoid premium electricity prices during demand spikes. While the company has not disclosed live deployments, megawatt-hours under management, or signed customers, its Battery Value Assessment estimates that a SGD500,000 battery at a Singapore data center could deliver around SGD256,000 in annual value.

However, technical questions remain regarding the wear on UPS batteries from more frequent charging and discharging, and the impact on vendor warranties and replacement schedules.