Infineon and SolarEdge collaborate on solid-state protection for 800 VDC AI data centers

Infineon Technologies and SolarEdge Technologies have announced an expansion of their existing collaboration to advance solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) technology for high-voltage DC power distribution in AI and hyperscale data centers. The collaboration addresses a key challenge in adopting 800VDC power architecture: safely operating increasingly power-dense infrastructure requires very fast fault isolation, meaning quickly detecting and stopping electrical faults, while still maintaining high efficiency.

Extending the partnership into solid-state protection fills a critical gap in the power distribution chain between the solid-state transformer and the compute rack, moving toward a more complete power solution spanning from the electrical grid all the way to the rack. SolarEdge is leading design of the SSCB solution, with Infineon providing its silicon carbide (SiC) JFET technology, a type of transistor, at the core of the protection devices.

As rapidly growing AI compute density pushes the industry toward higher-voltage DC power distribution, solid-state circuit breakers address one of the most fundamental challenges in making that shift safe and reliable. Unlike conventional AC electrical systems, DC power presents a different engineering challenge for circuit protection: because DC current never naturally drops to zero the way AC does, mechanical circuit breakers face difficulty cleanly interrupting a fault without arcing, and tend to be comparatively slow, requiring a different approach than traditional AC protection. Solid-state circuit breakers are designed to interrupt faults within a few microseconds and have no mechanical contacts that need to physically separate, while Infineon's CoolSiC JFET devices offer efficient operation and strong durability. Together, these capabilities are meant to help protect valuable compute equipment while enabling more compact, higher-density DC distribution designs.

This collaboration builds directly on SolarEdge's solid-state transformer (SST) platform, which uses Infineon SiC components and was first announced in November 2025. That SST platform is designed to convert medium voltage (13.8-34.5 kV) directly down to 800-1500VDC at more than 99% efficiency, consolidating what would normally require multiple separate conversion stages into a single solution while reducing the overall physical footprint.

Shuki Nir, CEO of SolarEdge, said high-density AI infrastructure running at 800VDC demands both strong efficiency and reliable protection without compromise. He said solid-state protection lets operators achieve both, delivering ultra-fast, dependable fault isolation without sacrificing conversion performance, and that Infineon's silicon carbide technology is what makes this practical at scale.

Andreas Weisl, executive vice president and chief sales officer of Industrial & Infrastructure at Infineon, said today's data infrastructure has become more vulnerable to electrical faults, driving demand for smarter, faster, and more robust power distribution systems. He said combining Infineon's advanced silicon carbide JFET technology with SolarEdge's expertise in final power distribution addresses these demands, helping ensure fast, safe, and reliable operation in AI data centers.

Building on more than 15 years of experience in DC-coupled power electronics, SolarEdge is developing what it calls an 800VDC "powertrain" for AI facilities, a DC-native chain of components carrying power from the medium-voltage grid connection through conversion, distribution, and protection all the way to the compute rack. Infineon's broad lineup of silicon, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride technology provides the underlying foundation for that system, supporting efforts to decarbonize AI infrastructure through lower energy losses, reduced environmental impact, and improved total cost of ownership.