onsemi e Ampt LLC, a worldwide company in the field of direct current (DC) optimizers for large-scale energy storage and photovoltaic (PV) systems, have announced a collaboration agreement under which Ampt will use N-channel SiC MOSFETs from onsemi's EliteSic family of silicon carbide devices for its DC string optimizers used in critical power switching applications.
What are optimizers used forĀ
Ampt's string optimizers, intended for large-scale PV power plants, enable DC and PV coupled energy storage systems characterized by higher performance and lower cost that are placed within the power plant itself. These optimizers provide power from the PV array at a fixed high value voltage for system voltages between 600 and 1500 VDC, reducing the overall current requirements and costs of the power plant. Ampt's optimizers provide higher round-trip efficiency (Rte)-that is, the amount of charge given up by the storage in the discharge phase and the amount stored in the charge phase-of the energy storage systems and the PV power plant through the use of the latest onsemi SiC MOSFETs, which are characterized by extremely low resistance values in the ON state and low switching losses.
The contribution of Onsemi components.
"The integration of onsemi's EliteSiC family of devices into our DC optimizers," explained Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt, "allows developers and owners of large-scale plants to optimize their designs from an economic perspective. Product performance has obviously been crucial, but equally crucial has been the assistance provided by onsemi in the design phase and the supply guarantee that has enabled us to adequately meet the rapid growth in demand."
RDS(on ) of 80 mĪ© (nominal), reduced gate charge (Qg) of 56 nC and Rg (gate resistance) of 1.7 Ohm are the salient features of the EliteSiC devices used. Capable of operating at junction temperatures as low as 175Ā°C, these MOSFETs enable reduced thermal management burdens and thus smaller, lower-cost solutions.
"The combination of performance and reliability that distinguishes our EliteSiC technology ," said Simon Keeton, executive vice president and general manager of onsemi 's Power Solutions Group,"has enabled efficient and reliable DC optimizers that are in line with what a leading company like Ampt expects. Our goal is to continue to collaborate on the development of new products for renewable energy applications aimed at promoting an increasingly sustainable ecosystem."
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