News: Microelectronics
1 April 2020
Infineon’s SiC module and chip technology powering 250kW PV inverter from Sungrow
First introduced at the Intersolar Europe 2019 event, China-based Sungrow offers the SG250HX photovoltaic (PV) string inverter that features a high capacity of 250kW and incorporates customized EasyPACK 3B power modules from Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany equipped with the latest TRENCHSTOP and CoolSiC silicon carbide chip technologies. Supporting a high voltage of 1500VDC and 800VAC, the Sungrow SG250HX string inverter offers a maximum of 99% efficiency.
“Sungrow is dedicated to paving the way for grid parity across Europe with growing technical innovations,” says Stefan Froboese, technical director at Sungrow Europe. “In this regard, we are excited to bring forth another disruptive string inverter technology to Europe, maximizing ROI for our customers at unforeseen levels,” he claims.
“We are very proud to support Sungrow’s goals with our new EasyPACK 3B power module, which was just recently launched at PCIM 2019 [Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion],” says Dr Peter Wawer, president of Infineon’s Industrial Power Control Division. “Combining our Si and SiC chip technologies, this is another proof point for our strategy to turn from product thinking to system understanding,” he adds. “Proprietary know-how and production capacity in frontend and backend puts us in the position to realize customer-specific solutions within months.”
Weighing only 95kg with a dimension of 1051mm x 660mm x 363mm the Sungrow SG250HX has a power density of about 1000W/liter, making it not only the most powerful inverter but also one with leading power density. Due to Infineon’s new technologies, the heat sink can be reduced in both size and weight significantly. Additionally, the Infineon products also enable weight savings by reducing the passive components through increasing switching frequency.
The system features 12 MPPTs (maximum power point tracking) and a flexible block design allowing for up to 6.3MW blocks. This makes it a suitable solution for utility-scale photovoltaic applications. With smart forced air-cooling technology, the SG250HX can operate at extremely high temperatures without derating.
