Solid-State Transformers: How SiC Is Rewiring the Grid for the AI Era

What happened

This is a background industry analysis article: according to the IEA's latest Electricity Mid-Year Update, global electricity consumption is projected to reach 30,700 TWh in 2027, compared with 28,600 TWh in 2025; the IEA's World Energy Investment 2026 report states global energy investment is set to reach roughly $3.4 trillion this year, with grid spending climbing toward $550 billion. Yole Group's power converter research places the global BESS power conversion market at roughly $10.5 billion in 2025, growing to $23 billion by 2031. The article states that silicon carbide (SiC) is the technology of choice for solid-state transformers (SSTs) due to its higher breakdown voltage and lower switching losses relative to silicon, letting SSTs approach 98% conversion efficiency; established companies such as Hitachi Energy, GE Vernova, and Delta Electronics, along with startups DG Matrix, Amperesand, and Heron Power, are developing multiport SiC-based SSTs for data centers and substations. Nvidia's push toward an 800-VDC power architecture for next-generation AI server racks has encouraged collaborations with Infineon, Navitas, Texas Instruments, onsemi, and Innoscience. The figures cited are market projections or trend descriptions; the article involves no price movement, production halt, or policy event.

Impact and signal

Affected components and suppliers

Source and time

Source: Power Electronics News · 11/3/2026 · View original source