Why do solar inverters use silicon carbide?

Silicon carbide enables solar inverters to be lighter, smaller and more efficient. Using silicon carbide power components instead of silicon for solar inverters can save 10 megawatts for each gigawatt and 500 watts/sec in operations, representing significant energy savings. Tell us about yourself and your role with Cree.

Can silicon carbide transform solar power management?

One materials technology poised to transform solar power management is silicon carbide (SiC). Solar manufacturers use this wonder material to build highly efficient and robust solar inverter systems that turn DC power from photovoltaic (PV) cells into household and business AC power.

What are the benefits of a silicon carbide solar power system?

Those same benefits apply in the context of solar power systems. Cree’s silicon carbide devices can enable 98% efficiency in solar power systems, while decreasing the size of inverters drastically and reducing total cost of ownership in most cases.

Can silicon carbide improve the performance of PV inverters?

Nowadays, silicon (Si)-based devices, including Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and Si diode, are commonly used in inverters. However, over the past four decades, the performance of Si devices has reached its boundary . Recently, silicon carbide (SiC)-based devices are used to improve the performance of PV inverters .

Are silicon carbide inverters the foundation of next-generation high-performance converters?

Silicon carbide (SiC) devices can break through the technical limitations of silicon (Si) devices. Thus, SiC devices are considered as the foundations of next-generation high-performance converters. Aimed at the photovoltaic (PV) power system, this study surveys state-of-the-art of PV inverters.

Why do solar inverters use sic?

SiC is preferred over traditional silicon because it offers higher efficiency, faster switching speeds, and reduced heat generation. These properties allow SiC-based inverters to operate at higher temperatures and frequencies, leading to more compact designs and lower energy losses in solar energy systems.