As people increasingly prioritize environmental protection, emphasize energy conservation, emission reduction, and a low-carbon lifestyle, the shift towards green energy, electrification, and energy efficiency is driving rapid growth in products and applications related to daily life and industrial sectors, such as electric vehicles, photovoltaic power generation, energy storage, and more. This article will provide you with an overview of the concept and applications of Green Industrial Solutions (GIS) and relevant application solutions introduced by onsemi.
Industrial applications are moving towards the development of green energy and electrification
Compared to the energy consumption in consumer and industrial sectors, industrial applications are the true major consumers of energy. Therefore, under the trend of environmental protection with a focus on low-carbon and decarbonization, many industrial applications are shifting towards the use of green energy and electrification to drive energy transformation and achieve the development goals of green industry. Currently, solutions such as solar solutions, industrial drives, heat pumps, industrial HVAC, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), solid-state transformers (SST), energy storage, and DC fast charging are all applications that can utilize high-performance energy-efficient solutions for energy optimization.
According to market research data, the global PV installation is expected to increase to 450 GW in 2024 and further to 684 GW in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% (estimated at 400 GW in 2023, compared to 252 GW in 2022). The global energy storage system (ESS) market is also projected to grow rapidly, increasing from 100 GWh in 2023 to 258 GWh in 2026, with a CAGR of 37%.
In addition, the combination of solar energy and energy storage technologies, along with the increasing use of the cloud and the development of regenerative artificial intelligence (AI) applications, contributes to the decreasing levelized cost of energy (LCOE), making it one of the most cost-effective forms of energy production. The rapid growth in the electric vehicle market is also driving the demand for the installation of high-power DC fast chargers (250KW+) and megawatt chargers.
On the other hand, the rise of distributed grid systems has also driven the demand for SST, energy storage, and solar energy. Additionally, the development of microgrids equipped with photovoltaics, energy storage systems (ESS), and bidirectional residential chargers (<22KW) is gaining momentum. Furthermore, starting in 2023, the European Union's 80 PLUS Titanium regulation requires higher power density for heat pumps and motor drives. All these factors contribute to the rapid growth trends in the green industrial market.
The application of heat pumps is a rapidly growing emerging market
Looking at the development trends in solar and energy storage applications, in residential applications, Power Integrated Modules (PIM) are expected to move towards a discrete development, and power semiconductors will transition from silicon-based to Silicon Carbide (SiC), with SiC modules becoming the mainstream product. In commercial sectors, PIM is expected to move towards high-power discrete, and hybrid SiC modules will become a trend. In large-scale utility grids, large PIM modules and IGBT-based power semiconductors will become mainstream products, and power will upgrade from 225KW to 350KW, with the previous 1500V photovoltaics upgrading to 2KV photovoltaics.
In the application of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, the charging voltage for residential charging stations is expected to be mainly 650 V, while external DC fast-charging stations will move towards 1200 V to enhance charging speed and efficiency. This development aims to address the challenge of slow charging speeds for electric vehicles, making them more attractive to consumers.
Furthermore, in transmission control products such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and motor control, the variable frequency drive control of motors, power conversion, and inverters are expected to extensively utilize 650 V and 1200 V power semiconductors (PIM, IGBT, diodes).
Heat pumps represent another rapidly growing emerging market. Taking the European market as an example, the current heat pump market in the European Union is close to 3 million units, and it is expected to grow to around 4 million units by 2025 and further increase to 7 million units by 2030. Achieving the decarbonization goals for space and water heating could result in a reduction in Co2 emissions equivalent to the annual tail pipe emissions from cars in Europe. In addition, to incentivize consumers to adopt heat pumps, the United States has introduced the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a tax credit policy that can provide up to a 30% reduction in installation costs. From a market perspective, while currently, Japanese HVAC manufacturers are leading in the heat pump sector, soon the European Union (Bosch), South Korea (Samsung, LG), and Chinese HVAC manufacturers are expected to enter this highly promising market.
The super-high-efficiency 1200V IGBT significantly reduces conduction and switching losses
Seeing the promising development of the green industrial market, onsemi has introduced a series of super-high-efficiency 1200V Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) products to address it. These devices feature industry-leading performance levels, minimizing conduction and switching losses to the greatest extent. They are designed to enhance the efficiency of fast-switching applications and will be primarily used in energy infrastructure applications such as solar inverters, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), energy storage, and electric vehicle charging power conversion.
onsemi's 1200V Trench Field Stop (TFS) FS7 IGBT is utilized in high switching frequency energy infrastructure applications for boosting input to high voltage (boost stage) and in inverter to provide AC output. The low switching losses of the FS7 device enable higher switching frequencies, reducing the size of magnetic components, increasing power density, and lowering system costs. For high-power energy infrastructure applications, the positive temperature coefficient of the FS7 device makes it easy to achieve parallel operation.
The FS7 device is available in high-speed (S series) and medium-speed (R series) versions. All devices feature an optimized diode for low VF, reducing switching losses, and can operate at a junction temperature (TJ) of up to 175°C. The S series devices, such as FGY75T120SWD, outperform existing 1200V IGBTs in the market in terms of switching performance. Tested with current up to 7 times the rated value, these high-reliability IGBT products offers best-in-class latch-up immunity. The R series is optimized for medium-speed switching applications, focusing on conduction losses, such as motor control and solid-state relays. FGY100T120RWD exhibits a VCESAT as low as 1.45V at 100A, reducing by 0.4V compared to the previous generation devices.
FGY100T120RWD is a state-of-the-art field stop 7th generation IGBT technology and Gen7 diode. It comes in a 3-lead TP247 package, offering optimal performance with low conduction losses and excellent switch controllability. This makes it suitable for various applications such as motor control, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), data centers, high-power switches, and more, ensuring efficient operation. The FS7 device is available in different packages like TO247-3L, TO247-4L, Power TO247-3L, and can also be provided as a bare die, providing design flexibility and alternative configurations for designers.
SiC MOSFETs and diodes meet the requirements of high-power applications
A Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) is a type of transistor with an insulated gate. Although the design elements are similar, these Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs have higher blocking voltage and better thermal conductivity than Silicon (Si) MOSFETs. SiC power devices also exhibit lower state resistance and 10 times the breakdown strength of regular silicon. In general, systems employing SiC MOSFETs offer better performance and higher efficiency compared to those using MOSFETs made with silicon materials.
Choosing SiC MOSFETs over silicon MOSFETs comes with several advantages, such as higher switching frequencies. When using SiC MOSFET modules, high-temperature operation is not a concern, as these devices can operate efficiently even in high heat. Additionally, by using SiC MOSFETs, you can benefit from more compact product sizes, as all components (inductors, filters, etc.) are smaller.
onsemi has introduced a series of SiC MOSFETs and diodes to meet the demands of high-power applications. The SiC MOSFETs from onsemi are designed to be fast and rugged, offering system advantages such as high efficiency, reduced system size, and cost savings.
onsemi has introduced 650V SiC MOSFETs (M2 and M3 series) and 1200V SiC MOSFETs (M3 series), known as EliteSiC MOSFETs. These new products utilize advanced technology and offer superior switching performance and higher reliability compared to silicon. Additionally, low on-state resistance and compact chip sizes ensure low capacitance and gate charge. Consequently, the system advantages include higher efficiency, faster operating frequencies, increased power density, lower EMI, and smaller system sizes.
The EliteSiC MOSFET product series is quite diverse, featuring automotive-grade (part number starting with "NV") and industrial-grade (part number starting with "NT") products lines, with various specifications to meet different application requirements. Automotive-grade products comply with the AEC-Q101 automotive standard and can be used in automotive DC/DC converters, automotive power factor correction (PFC), and common end products include automotive on-board chargers, EV/PHEV automotive DC/DC converters. Industrial-grade products undergo 100% avalanche testing and can be used in industrial applications, with final products including uninterruptible power supplies/energy storage systems, solar and electric vehicle chargers, and more.
In order to fulfill the value proposition of green industrial solutions, onsemi's products are designed with application-optimized topologies and configurations. They also feature optimized pin layouts and direct bonded copper (DBC) layouts, along with a comprehensive combination of silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) devices. This, coupled with a wide range of packaging options, ensures manufacturing flexibility.
onsemi provides a comprehensive SiC MOSFET product portfolio, covering solutions for fast DC electric vehicle charging, as well as module products supporting power ranges from 40 kW to 75 kW. The company is at the forefront in various formats, including bare dies, discrete MOSFETs, innovative modules, and cutting-edge topologies. Additionally, onsemi plans to launch SiC discrete device evaluation boards and SiC module evaluation boards in the first quarter of 2024, aiming to offer customers the most complete technical support and services.
Conclusion
Green energy has become the path that humanity must take for sustainable development. Whether in daily life or industrial energy needs, the transition to electrification in energy is essential. Due to the significantly higher electricity consumption in industries compared to daily life, adopting green industrial solutions will contribute significantly to the goal of sustainable energy. onsemi has introduced a complete portfolio of SiC and IGBT products applicable to various power products, providing higher energy conversion efficiency and serving as one of the best choices for related products and applications.