When it comes to the new energy industry, we usually think of the types of clean energy: solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, etc.; Or core technologies and products, solar cell technology, wind power generation technology, etc. In this green wave, there is one thing that is important, but not very noticeable, and that is power devices.
Taking the field of solar power generation as an example, as the core link of converting solar energy into electrical energy, the performance of photovoltaic inverters directly determines the efficiency and stability of solar power generation. Power devices such as IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) and MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) are the core components of photovoltaic inverters to achieve efficient power conversion. By precisely controlling the current and voltage, they convert the direct current generated by the photovoltaic panels into alternating current that meets the grid access standards, ensuring that solar energy can be stably and efficiently integrated into the grid to provide clean electricity to society. According to the forecast of relevant market research institutions, by 2025, the market demand for power devices in the field of solar power generation is expected to reach 12.4 billion yuan. This data not only intuitively reflects the wide application of power devices in the solar power generation industry, but also highlights its important supporting role in promoting the popularization of solar power generation technology and industrial development.
Wind power, as another important form of renewable energy utilization, is also inseparable from the strong support of power devices. In a wind power system, the converter is responsible for converting the unstable alternating current generated by the wind turbine into a stable electrical output to meet the grid access requirements. Power devices are responsible for the key task of accurately controlling the power conversion process in the converter, and can adjust the operating parameters of the generator in real time according to different wind speed conditions to ensure that the wind power generation system can maintain stable and efficient operation under various working conditions. With the continuous growth of the installed capacity of wind power generation in the world, the demand for high-performance power devices is also rising, further highlighting the strategic position of power devices in the wind power industry.
Figure: How power devices empower the new energy industry
As a typical representative of the application of new energy technology, the development of the core technology of new energy vehicles is closely related to the performance improvement of power devices. In the power system of electric vehicles, the motor drive controller realizes precise control of the motor through power devices, so as to achieve efficient power output and smooth operation of the vehicle. At the same time, power devices also play an indispensable role in battery management systems (BMS) and charging systems. For example, silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, with their superior electrical properties, can significantly improve the charging speed of electric vehicles, effectively shorten the charging time, reduce system energy consumption, and increase the range of vehicles. In the installed capacity ranking of power device (driver) suppliers announced in January 2025, BYD Semiconductor, CRRC Times Semiconductor and other companies fully demonstrated the core position and broad development prospects of power devices in the new energy vehicle industry by virtue of their technical advantages and market share in the field of power devices for new energy vehicles.
As a key link to balance the load of the power grid and ensure the stability of energy supply, the energy storage system also relies on power devices to achieve efficient storage and release of electric energy. In the bidirectional inverter, the power device can store the excess power to the energy storage device during the trough period and release the stored power back to the grid during the peak period by accurately controlling the bidirectional flow of electric energy, so as to effectively alleviate the power supply pressure of the power grid and ensure the stable operation of the power system. With the continuous expansion of the application of energy storage technology in the new energy industry, the scale of power devices in the energy storage market has also shown a steady growth trend, and it is expected to usher in more significant market expansion in the next few years.
In recent years, with the continuous breakthroughs in wide bandgap semiconductor materials (such as SiC and GaN), great progress has been made in the research and development and application of new power devices. Compared with traditional silicon-based power devices, power devices based on wide bandgap materials have higher operating frequency, lower on-resistance and stronger high-temperature resistance, which can effectively reduce the energy loss in the process of power conversion and improve the overall efficiency and power density of the system. This technological progress not only provides the possibility for the miniaturization and lightweight design of new energy systems, but also opens up new development space for the wide application of new energy technologies in more fields.
