Cree and Delta Energy Systems claim a breakthrough in power density, efficiency and weight of photovoltaic (PV) inverter design.
The latest Delta solar inverters use SiC power mosfets from Cree.
“The SiC mosfets from Cree were essential for us to realize our goals for new, high-power inverters that are lightweight and have industry-leading efficiency,” said Klaus Gremmelspacher, head of research and development for PV inverters at Delta Energy Systems.
Using 1200V SiC mosfets from Cree in an 11kW PV inverter, Delta said it has extended the DC input voltage range while maintaining and even increasing the maximum efficiency of its previous products.
The Delta 11kW booster, which employs Cree’s SiC MOSFET and now has 1kV DC input instead of 900V, is targeted for release in Q2 2013.
"Advanced technology customers like Delta are now moving aggressively forward with our SiC mosfet technology, which enables reduced size, weight and cost for PV inverters, from 20 to 50% when compared with silicon, while at the same time maintaining or increasing efficiency," said Dr. Scott Allen, senior director of marketing, Cree Power.
“Delta Energy Systems are utilizing the 1200V, 160m-Ohm MOSFET, which has matured rapidly since its release in 2011 and offers industry-leading performance and cost," said Allen.
Packaged SiC mosfets from Cree are available from Digi-Key and Mouser, and die are available from SemiDice.
