WidenEdge x Infineon | A Conversation on SiC Efficiency, Live at ees Europe

WidenEdge team and Infineon team group photo · Munich, Booth C4.154

On the second day of ees Europe, the WidenEdge booth welcomed a special group of visitors—the heads of Infineon's SiC business for Germany and China visited together, holding an in-depth on-site exchange with the WidenEdge team on the application of silicon-carbide power devices in energy-storage conversion.

For WidenEdge, this conversation carried special weight. The entire WidenEdge MGC series of energy-storage converters (PCS) uses SiC silicon-carbide devices—and this was not a simple "component-selection" decision, but a technology-roadmap choice running through product efficiency, power density, and full-lifecycle value.

On-site exchange at the WidenEdge booth, ees Europe

Why SiC?

In an energy-storage system, the PCS (Power Conversion System) handles the bidirectional conversion between the battery's DC and the grid's AC. Its efficiency directly determines the system's charge-discharge losses—in other words, how much power the user ultimately gets to use, and how much loss they pay for.

Traditional silicon-based IGBT devices have matured over decades of development, but the physical properties of the material itself are gradually becoming a ceiling on further efficiency gains. Silicon carbide (SiC), as a third-generation wide-bandgap semiconductor material, changes this situation from the ground up, mainly in three respects:

Lower losses

The switching and conduction losses of SiC MOSFETs are both significantly lower than those of traditional silicon-based IGBTs. In energy-storage scenarios, a PCS often runs for long periods in the partial-load range, and SiC maintains high efficiency even at low-to-medium loads, substantially improving the system's overall conversion efficiency and round-trip efficiency. Every percentage point of loss reduced means the same battery capacity can deliver a little more usable energy.

Higher switching frequency and power density

SiC devices can operate at higher switching frequencies, which allows the use of smaller passive components such as inductors and capacitors. This translates directly into a more compact design: at the same power rating, the equipment is smaller and lighter, making it friendlier for integrators in terms of installation, transport, and project layout. This advantage is especially clear in the WidenEdge MGC-MK1—this 150 kVA-class PCS weighs just 71 kg, with dimensions kept to 480×721×214.5 mm (rack-mounted). Its high power density packs greater power output into a limited volume, truly translating SiC's device-level advantages into product form.

Better thermal characteristics and reliability

SiC offers a higher breakdown field strength and thermal conductivity, enabling stable operation at higher junction temperatures. This eases the burden on the cooling system and provides material-level assurance for long-term, reliable operation in harsh environments—especially critical for microgrid, off-grid, and other scenarios with complex operating conditions.
SiC allows the energy-storage inverter to strike a better balance among three dimensions that often constrain one another: "more efficient, more compact, more reliable."This is precisely why the WidenEdge MGC series stays committed to the SiC technology roadmap.

Efficiency Begins at the Device Level

In this exchange, the two sides discussed application trends for SiC devices, reliability design, and the direction of future technological evolution. When the designers of a device sit down with the people who build that device into real energy-storage systems—explaining the technology thoroughly and probing the problems deeply—such conversations often push a product forward more than any datasheet ever could.

Thanks to the Infineon team for visiting. For the global microgrid and energy-storage market, WidenEdge will continue—with solid device selection and systems-engineering capability—to deliver the efficiency and reliability of every kilowatt-hour into our customers' hands.