[Ferro-Alloys.com]Wide bandgap semiconductors – specifically, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) – will lead the charge as the market for solar inverter discrete devices, driven by the downstream demand for solar modules, grows to $1.4 billion in 2020, according to Lux Research. That reflects a solid seven percent compound annual growth (CAGR), slightly lower than the nine percent for all renewables and grid-based power electronics.

 

As devices featuring GaN and SiC hit the market, they’ll offer the biggest competitive advantage in small systems – microinverters and small string inverters, for residential and commercial solar installations – with a powerful proposition: lowering levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and increasing margins on electricity sold through leases and power purchase agreements. They also will deliver improved performance and reliability.

 

“The holy grail for solar inverters is the implementation of wide bandgap semiconductors – specifically, silicon carbide and gallium nitride,” said Pallavi Madakasira, Lux Research Analyst and one of the lead authors of the report titled, “Reaching for the High Fruit: Finding Room forSiC and GaN in the Solar Inverter Market.”

 

“The performance benefits from both are such that inverter suppliers could charge a premium price and still achieve a significantly lower LCOE,” she added.