Rune Launches Solar-Powered AI Computing System, Deployed at 200MW Power Plant in Texas

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 17, U.S. modular computing infrastructure company Rune launched RELIC (Renewable Energy Linked Intelligent Compute), a solar-powered AI computing module, and disclosed that the system has been deployed at an existing 200MW photovoltaic power plant in Texas. RELIC is installed directly on the solar power generation side, using electricity from the PV plant that is not absorbed by the grid for AI computing, without requiring new grid connection infrastructure.

RELIC features a modular design and connects directly to the DC side of the PV plant. Rune's published technical solution adopts a 1500V DC bus architecture, eliminating some AC conversion and transformer equipment found in traditional data centers. A single system can be configured with 8 to 1024 GPUs depending on load, and integrates cooling, power management, and computing equipment. The company disclosed that its modules can be deployed on-site using a forklift, with a single installation taking as little as approximately 60 minutes, and from contract signing to GPU going live in as little as approximately 6 weeks.

The Texas project is built using existing 200MW PV infrastructure. Rune stated that on-site deployment requires no large-scale modifications to the PV plant, nor does it require new grid infrastructure or traditional data center civil construction. The system primarily absorbs electricity that the PV plant cannot economically deliver to the grid due to curtailment, peak shaving, or low electricity price periods, and directly converts it into AI computing capacity.

Rune has currently contracted over 80MW of computing power capacity and disclosed a pipeline of reserve projects exceeding 1GW. According to the company's website, its existing systems have accumulated over 40,000 hours of operation across three continents, with a service availability target of 99.5%. The company's next phase plans to extend the same deployment model to other renewable energy power plants.

Alongside the launch of RELIC, Rune completed a $40 million Series A funding round led by Spark Capital, with participation from Union Square Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Activate Capital, Committed Capital, Timeless Partners, and Logos Fund. Following this round, the company's cumulative funding has reached $53.5 million.

Rune also disclosed that RELIC reduces the infrastructure investment required per unit of computing capacity by minimizing long-distance transmission, grid connection, transformer, and traditional data center support facilities. Current product specifications on its website show that the infrastructure cost per MW can be lower than traditional data center solutions, though the relevant cost data constitutes product metrics published by the company.