Infineon powers Daihen's grid storage conditioner with 2,000V SiC module

In the journey towards reducing carbon emissions, both grid storage batteries and the power conditioners that are linked to them play a vital role in facilitating the wider adoption of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power generation. There has been an increasing demand for higher voltage storage batteries and power conditioners to enhance the effectiveness of power generation, storage, and transmission. Moreover, with the expansion of storage battery systems on a larger scale, finding suitable locations and minimising construction costs have emerged as significant challenges.

The unit-type power conditioner for grid storage batteries launched by Daihen in March 2024 is the first product in the industry to achieve connection to storage batteries at a high DC link voltage of 1,500V. The higher voltage enables the product to be used with large-capacity storage battery facilities, which has resulted in a 40% reduction in the footprint of grid storage batteries compared to the conventional product.

The high power density is achieved by using Infineon's 62mm CoolSiC MOSFET 2,000V module (FF3MR20KM1H). In addition to the characteristics of SiC that enable high voltage, better thermal dissipation and high power density, Infineon's SiC products feature M1H trench technology that increases the gate drive voltage range and provides high robustness and reliability against gate voltage spikes. Infineon was the pioneer in the industry to introduce the 2,000V class for a SiC module. This innovation has been instrumental in simplifying the inverter circuit configuration. Furthermore, the optimised 62mm package has led to a substantial reduction in system size, contributing to enhanced efficiency, and performance.

Masanori Fujimori, Marketing Director of the Industrial and Infrastructure Segment at Infineon Technologies Japan, said: “We are very pleased that our pioneering CoolSiC 2,000V module has contributed to the development of the industry's highest power density power conditioners for grid storage batteries. We believe that Infineon's SiC technology will address the need for higher efficiency in energy storage systems and will greatly contribute to the growth of renewable energy.”