Infineon GaN powers Enphase solar microinverters
Enphase Energy, a leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, is using Infineon's CoolGaN bi-directional switch (BDS) technology for its next-generation of solar microinverters.
According to Infineon, its GaN technology enables significant enhancements in power output, energy efficiency, and system reliability for Enphase’s IQ9 Series Microinverters. For the new IQ9N-3P Commercial Microinverter, it will also help simplify design complexity and lower installation and balance of system costs.
CoolGaN bi-directional switch technology replaces two or four unidirectional switches with a single bi-directional switch. This allows power flow in both directions, and enables significant cost savings, while enabling the design of smaller, more efficient power devices, according to Infineon.
The BDS technology has also demonstrated a reduction in power loss, outperforming conventional silicon switches by 68 percent and GaN unidirectional switches by 42 percent.
By achieving higher power output and efficiency, Enphase's new microinverters can now service not only the residential solar market, but also a much larger portion of the commercial market.
“Utilising Infineon’s CoolGaN bi-directional switch technology allows us to service a much larger segment of the commercial market with our IQ9 Series Microinverters,” said Ron Swenson, SVP of operations at Enphase Energy. “This teamwork highlights our commitment to ongoing innovation in the solar energy industry. We’re excited by the performance gains enabled by GaN-powered technology and look forward to deepening our long-term partnership with Infineon.”
