Executive Summary
- Silicon carbide (SiC) is replacing traditional silicon solutions for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems with benefits from thermal management, to power density, to reliability and longevity
- Socomec, a provider of low voltage power management solutions, recently announced its new range of three-phase UPS, designed for data centres and industrial and commercial buildings, were utilising SiC technology in its high efficiency versions
- SiC is ‘transforming from a premium feature to an industry baseline’, according to Socomec’s Antonio Tamiozzo, adding that SiC UPS systems achieve payback and ROI within three years despite higher upfront costs
There was an interesting note which appeared in a recent piece of news from Socomec, provider of low voltage power management solutions. In announcing its new range of three-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the MASTERYS GP4, the company noted its high efficiency versions were, for the first time, utilising silicon carbide (SiC) technology.
The move to SiC, a wide bandgap semiconductor material offering superior electrical properties when compared with traditional silicon, is one which reflects the need to combine greater power with reliability and efficiency in UPS systems. Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technology had previously been the key element in UPS design.
“Traditional silicon-based power electronics have served the industry well, but as the demand for higher efficiency, greater power density and improved thermal management grows, silicon carbide has emerged as a transformative material in the design and implementation of high-power UPS systems,” explains a post from Microchip Technology.
SiC is not the only trick up Socomec’s sleeve for the MASTERYS GP5 models, which are designed for environments such as data centres and industrial and commercial buildings, where electrical continuity is critical. The new models also boast a ‘smart conversion’ mode – a Socomec technology designed to increase efficiency without compromising the protection of critical loads. The company notes efficiency of up to 99% without trade-offs associated with conventional energy saving models. High efficiency models also achieve up to 97.5% efficiency in their highest protection mode – again aiming to combine reduced energy consumption and operating costs with full system redundancy.
The data centre industry, as readers of sister publication Data Centre Insight will be aware, is under pressure to improve environmental footprint while maintaining performance. Antonio Tamiozzo, product creation leader, critical power at Socomec, notes the introduction of SiC came about to overcome the physical efficiency ceiling of traditional silicon – at around 97% – ‘driven mainly by the data centre industry’s need to reduce energy losses and heat.’
There were also regulatory nudges. “In the EU, the EED [Energy Efficiency Directive] legislation drives reduced footprint of data centres by mandating energy efficiency improvements and requiring waste heat utilisation to support the EU’s 11.7% energy reduction target by 2030,” Tamiozzo tells Electrical Insight.
“Beyond reducing energy consumption, higher efficiency UPS systems also optimise operating costs while maintaining full system redundancy,” adds Tamiozzo. “In this light, SiC can no longer be considered an expensive niche.
“Having surpassed expectations, SiC now enables efficiencies beyond 97% in double conversion mode.”
The benefits of SiC, ranging from thermal management, to power density, alongside reliability and longevity, are evident. But there is another boon for manufacturers, as Tamiozzo explains. “Despite higher upfront costs, SiC UPS systems typically achieve payback within two to three years through energy and cooling savings,” he says. “These gains have a direct impact on the total cost of ownership, delivering substantial savings year after year.”
“SiC is transitioning from a premium feature to an industry baseline,” Tamiozzo concludes. “It is becoming essential for supporting high-density computing and AI data centres, where space and cooling are critical constraints.”
