The PV inverter market is surging, will all SiC modules become mainstream?

With the rapid growth of clean energy, the solar inverter, as the heart of the photovoltaic system, has become a super track in the wave of energy revolution. Efficient photovoltaic systems cannot be separated from power devices. All IGBT schemes, hybrid SiC schemes and full SiC schemes are widely used in the market because of their different advantages in cost, performance, space and reliability. However, as the cost of SiC decreases, the all-sic solution is adopted by more and more manufacturers.

In the next 10 years, the photovoltaic inverter market will surge

Wind and solar power together now produce more electricity than hydropower. By 2028, the share of clean energy is expected to reach 42%. The Chinese market is growing strongly and has become a major driver of global clean energy growth. The photovoltaic inverter carries the heavy task of converting the direct current generated by the solar photovoltaic module into alternating current, and is one of the important components of the photovoltaic system. It is expected that in the decade 2023-2033, the solar inverter market will grow from $135.2 billion to $730.7 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.38%. It is worth mentioning that most of the world's top ten solar inverter suppliers are from China.

On's SiC market share has expanded rapidly in recent years, largely due to the contribution of the Chinese market, as well as ON's end-to-end advantage in SiC technology. For these different application scenarios, On offers power products in different power levels from 3KW to 350KW, including IGBT, SiC and PIM, as well as a variety of topologies to meet diverse needs.

When choosing to use modules or single tubes for project development, a number of factors need to be considered. Although the single tube is lower cost, more flexible, and easier to find alternatives, but the design complexity is high, need to deal with circuit design, signal integrity and thermal management issues, while long-term reliability and stability also need to be carefully designed and tested to ensure. Modules are easier to integrate, simplify the development process, shorten the time to market, and help reduce PCB size and improve reliability due to the integration of multiple components. However, the cost of modules is relatively high and the flexibility is low.

Therefore, the choice depends on the specific needs of the project, including cost budget, development time, performance requirements, and future maintainability. On offers a wide range of high-performance module solutions, such as F1, Q0, F2, Q1, Q2 and F5+BP, to meet the needs of different application scenarios.

Full SiC module for accelerated penetration

Using an all-SIC solution not only improves system efficiency, but also makes the design more compact. In addition, IGBT has an inherent limitation that its switching frequency cannot be done very high, whereas SiC can operate stably at frequencies above 100kHz, which is a significant advantage for many applications.

In utility applications, for the design of a 1100V two-level Boost converter, ON Semiconductor offers three solutions to meet different needs: full IGBT [Si IGBT + diode] module solution, hybrid IGBT [Si IGBT + SiC diode] module solution, and full SiC module solution. Of the three schemes, full IGBTs have the lowest cost, while hybrid IGBTs are more common due to their balance between performance and cost. The full SiC solution offers the best performance, including faster switching speeds, lower module losses and smaller volume, but with a higher cost.

As the market demands more and more energy conversion efficiency and volume, all-sic solutions will become a major trend. As for the cost constraints of all-sic solutions, Yu said: "IGBT technology has been developing for decades, and as the market matures and the technology optimizes, the room for further price reductions in the future will be increasingly limited. In contrast, as a relatively new technology, silicon carbide still has greater potential for price reduction and development in the future. This means that, over time, the cost of an all-sic solution may gradually decrease, making it more competitive."

When selecting a power module scheme, it is necessary to fully take into account possible future changes and expansion needs according to the actual application situation to ensure that the selected scheme can maintain its applicability and competitiveness for a long period of time. In terms of SiC modules, On offers more than 30 EliteSiC Power Integration modules (PIM) with integrated SiC MOSFETs and SiC diodes, with voltage ratings up to 1200 V. In addition, On Semiconductor offers more than 20 hybrid Si IGBT and SiC device modules that combine the characteristics of SiC and silicon technologies, forming a comprehensive product lineup to meet the specific needs of customers.