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Turning a ray of sunshine into a cup of hot coffee

Electricity is central to our lives, whether in cooking, lighting, heating, cooling or mobility. But managing the increasing demand for electricity in a CO2-neutral manner means we have to rely on renewables like photovoltaic and wind power.

Energy
Renewables
Article

Jul 02, 2025

The energy transition relies on renewables

We start our day with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Working from home, we sneak back into the kitchen a few hours later to open the refrigerator for a snack. Around noon we use the rice cooker and the microwave to make a quick lunch. All these household applications, the coffee machine, the refrigerator and the rice cooker have one thing in common: they need electricity to function.

woman with cup of coffee sitting in the sunshine
woman with cup of coffee sitting in the sunshine
woman with cup of coffee sitting in the sunshine

Electricity is becoming increasingly central to our lives. We rely on it for all our everyday needs: cooking, lighting, heating, cooling and mobility. Electrical energy is the highest-quality and most flexible form of energy because we can easily convert electricity into light, motion and heat. But we'll have to turn to renewables like photovoltaic and wind power if we are to meet the increasing demand for electricity in a CO2-neutral manner. Innovative semiconductor solutions are an essential part of this energy transition.

Using sunlight as energy source

The sun is just as important for solar panels as it is for us humans. Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels use sunlight as a source of energy to generate direct current (DC). Photons in the sunlight energize the different electric properties of the solar cell layers, creating an electric field and thus generating electricity. Solar panels are used to generate energy from light beams, but an inverter is needed to convert that energy into usable electrical energy. The inverter is the link between the solar panel and the power grid. It converts the direct current (DC) produced by solar panels into alternating current (AC) that can be fed into a commercial electrical grid and ultimately used in consumer applications like our coffee machines.

Boosting efficiency with wide-bandgap semiconductors

Modern power semiconductors are based on special wafer materials (silicon carbide or gallium nitride) and have specific characteristics optimizing energy efficiency. Their structure and properties let them handle higher voltages and frequencies and still function smoothly at higher temperatures. This makes them ideal for various electronic applications like solar inverters. A highly visible example where silicon carbide (SiC) has made significant design miniaturization possible is central, or string inverters in solar power systems. Infineon CoolSiC™ MOSFETs increase power density by a factor of 2.5, e.g. from 50 kW (Si) to 125 kW (SiC) at a unit weight of less than 80 kg, so that two installers can lift the unit. Gallium nitride (GaN) is an important building block in the next generation of residential solar energy production, delivering significant energy savings, improved performance and accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources. GaN-based microinverters, optimizers and power conditioners more efficiently convert DC electricity from solar panels stored in batteries into usable AC electricity for homes, businesses and charging stations.

homeowners installing solar panels on roof
homeowners installing solar panels on roof
homeowners installing solar panels on roof

Our portfolio comprises a broad selection of components for building inverters that range from just a few watts and kilowatts for residential use to several megawatts for the commercial and utility-scale markets. In short, our wide-bandgap components help improve the overall efficiency of solar inverters and solar power plants.

Powering a greener future: Insights from Dr. Peter Wawer, Division President Green Industrial Power

In Moore’s Lobby Podcast from "All about Circuits" Peter Wawer brings insights from a distinguished career that has touched three unique major semiconductor technologies: silicon photovoltaics, embedded Flash, and now wide bandgap semiconductors for power electronics.

Listen now
Renewables podcast with Peter Wawer
Renewables podcast with Peter Wawer
Renewables podcast with Peter Wawer

Energy storage – balancing supply and demand

image of an energy storage system
image of an energy storage system
image of an energy storage system

Photovoltaic systems are highly modular and can install a power generation unit ranging from the size of a single household up to plant level. But as with wind, using solar energy entails the major challenge of balancing supply and demand. The power supplied by photovoltaic modules fluctuates heavily depending on weather conditions. That's why the efficient combination of solar panels and energy storage systems based on semiconductor technologies is one effective way of synchronizing supply and demand. 

Learn more about energy storage

Independent energy production within our own four walls is constantly on the rise. Photovoltaic can provide a feasible way to achieve energy independence, but convenient electricity at night and on cloudy days requires combining self-supply with on-site energy storage capacity. Hybrid solar inverters cover both requirements. They connect multiple PV panels and convert the generated direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) that home appliances use. They can also supply DC current directly to energy storage systems such as batteries. 

Learn more about hybrid inverters

Renewables are efficient and profitable

There has been a huge rise in the amount of solar, wind and other renewable energies generated in recent years. In the meantime, renewable energies have even reached cost parity with fossil fuels, earning them a key role in the effort to make the world greener. Right from the start, semiconductors have been essential to making renewables more and more efficient and thus commercially profitable. 

Infineon plays a vital role in leveraging the unlimited potential of sun and wind. Our semiconductor solutions help bring wind power and photovoltaic on a par with conventional energy sources by improving the efficiency and miniaturization of wind and photovoltaic system designs. We decisively support decarbonization.

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