Page 65 - NEW Armstrong Book - 2

Maximizing the Potential
of Renewable Energy with
SiC: Helping to Generate,
Distribute, and Convert
Today’s Green Energy for a
Better Tomorrow
C
reating more renewable energy and being more efficient in how we consume it has been the mantra of the industry for the last few decades. Essential
By Guy Moxey
SiC modules are a clear choice, as they enable the design by increasing power density, reducing the size and weight of the system, and balancing system cost. Figure 1 shows a function block power flow for a string solar system; here, SiC plays a fundamental role in both the DC/DC boost section and the DC/AC inverter section.
Expanding the renewable
eco-structure
If we look at Figure 1, we can see a standard solar-string system that is dynamic in energy harnessing from the panel, maximizing the energy converted via the maximum power- point tracking (MPPT) and then supplying the energy to the grid via the inverter. However, energy generation and transfer are real-time only — when the sun is shining. To
FIGURE 1: DC/DC AND DC/AC POWER CONVERSION IN SOLAR APPLICATIONS (SOURCE: WOLFSPEED)
renewable energy solutions such as wind and solar power, often paired with energy storage, are among the fastest- growing sectors in the power electronics industry, and wide- bandgap silicon carbide technology is at the core of these solutions. End-system designers have established that SiC power semiconductors enable solutions that are more effi- cient, smaller, and more cost-effective than silicon. SiC com- ponents are significantly more reliable and deliver superla- tive performance in handling renewable power, from small residential installations to large-scale utility power and grid- scale voltages.
SiC vs. Si devices in renewable
energy systems
Hardware designers in the renewable energy sector such as solar or energy storage have capitalized on SiC because of the stellar results the technology brings to power-conversion systems. SiC enables high-frequency switching without loss of efficiency; in simple terms, it means smaller circuit mag- netics and flatter on-resistance (RDS(on)) over temperature, which leads to lower conduction loss under true operating conditions. Whether it is about boosting power from the photovoltaic (PV) panel, inverting power back to the grid, or storing power in larger, behind-the-fence battery systems,
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