GRID TRANSFORMATION Power semiconductors: the hidden force reshaping tomorrow’s power grid

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ROHM Semiconductor GmbH

CISSOID S.A.

MERSEN

Power semiconductors are becoming essential to a renewable and resilient grid, delivering fast and precise control as power flows grow more dynamic. Their full impact is only beginning to emerge.

The transformation of the power grid provides the backdrop against which the role of power semiconductors is expanding.

A decentralized and dynamic grid

The modern grid is undergoing its most profound transformation in decades. Decentralized energy resources such as large solar plants, wind farms, battery systems, and prosumers introduce unprecedented variability. Traditional infrastructure was never designed for such dynamic, multidirectional flows. Power semiconductors now provide the foundational control layer, offering microsecond responsiveness that helps operators stabilize voltage, frequency, and power quality.

Stabilizing long-distance and renewable power flows

The geographical shift of renewable generation toward remote regions increases the need for efficient long-distance transmission. High-performance semiconductors, known for low switching losses and strong thermal performance, enable gigawatt-scale energy transport with precise controllability. Integrated into HVDC systems and STATCOM solutions, they reduce losses, improve flexibility, and support reliable AC/DC conversion even when operating conditions fluctuate heavily.

POWER GRIDS

With inverters, an island adapts to changing physics of power grids

Silicon carbide: a step change in performance

Silicon carbide (SiC) has introduced a new class of devices with switching speeds up to twenty times faster than conventional silicon. This jump in performance results in lower losses, higher power density, and smaller converter footprints. These advantages directly reduce system-level costs and enable more compact grid infrastructure, better renewable integration, and greater efficiency for storage and mobility applications.

Vertical integration as a strategic advantage

Leading manufacturers increasingly rely on deep vertical integration that brings together semiconductor R&D, advanced fabrication, power electronics engineering, and system-level expertise. This alignment allows them to fine-tune switching behavior, optimize thermal performance, and improve lifetime reliability. Enhanced STATCOM platforms already show what this can achieve: higher energy utilization, reduced installed capacity, and stronger grid stabilization.

DOSSIER ENERGY STORAGE

Stationary energy storage systems

Shaping the architecture of tomorrow’s grid

Electrification is accelerating across transportation, industry, and the residential sector, increasing the need for real-time control and resilience. Power semiconductors act as the digital-physical interface of this future grid, enabling fast-charging networks, renewable plants, and battery storage systems to operate safely amid volatility. They form the backbone of emerging grid-forming converters that will define a flexible, sustainable, and increasingly software-based energy system.

*Tobias Keller holds a degree in power electronics, thermodynamics, and electrical machines from the University of Applied Science Aargau. He joined ABB’s Excitation and Synchronizing business, later becoming Vice President Global Products and Marketing. He then served as Vice President for Vehicle Integration Engineering in ABB’s traction division. Since 2019, he has been Vice President Global Product Management, Portfolio & Marketing at Hitachi Energy Semiconductor and is a senior member of IEEE.