News: Microelectronics
24 June 2026
Infineon’s GaN technology boosts efficiency and power density in BRC Solar’s Power Optimizer
Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany says that its CoolGaN Transistor 100V devices have been selected by BRC Solar GmbH of Ettlingen, Germany (which provides module-level power electronics for photovoltaic systems) as the core switching technology for its Power Optimizer.
The CoolGaN Transistor 100V family is claimed to deliver industry-leading switching performance and power-handling capability in a compact 3mm x 5mm package, enabling panel-level maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) with the highest efficiency and power density available in this class of solar application. The selection underlines the growing adoption of Infineon’s gallium nitride (GaN) technology in renewable energy applications, where superior switching performance, compact form factor, and cost competitiveness are critical design requirements.
Picture: Infineon’s CoolGaN Transistor 100V devices, in a compact 3mm x 5mm package.
“The adoption of CoolGaN technology from Infineon in BRC Solar’s Power Optimizers demonstrates the tangible impact that GaN switching performance can deliver in real-world renewable energy systems,” says Johannes Schoiswohl, senior VP & general manager GaN business line at Infineon. “By enabling higher efficiency, greater power density, and cloud-based performance monitoring in the same compact form factor, CoolGaN helps solar system designers push the boundaries of what is achievable in rooftop solar applications and brings meaningful benefits to end users and the environment alike.”
Rooftop solar installations face a fundamental efficiency challenge: when MPPT is implemented at the string level, partial shading of a single panel reduces the output of the entire string. The CoolGaN Transistor 100V family addresses this directly by enabling cost-effective panel-level MPPT optimization, eliminating the performance drag of the weakest panel and maximizing energy yield across the full installation. The inherently superior switching characteristics of GaN, including lower switching losses, higher-switching-frequency capability and reduced EMI compared to silicon alternatives make CoolGaN the enabling technology for power optimizers that must simultaneously meet stringent efficiency, size and regulatory requirements.
“Since its founding, BRC Solar has recognized the transformative potential of gallium nitride technology for achieving best-in-class performance in solar power optimizers," says the firm’s chief financial officer Pascal Ruisinger. “Infineon and BRC Solar share the same vision: to leverage state-of-the-art technologies such as CoolGaN to benefit the environment and society by delivering optimized green energy through feature-rich and affordable products.”
The switching performance of CoolGaN, combined with a diverse product portfolio spanning discrete and integrated solutions across a broad range of voltage and power levels, is said to allow BRC Solar’s Power Optimizer design to achieve the optimal balance between cost, size and efficiency. The result is reckoned to be a solution that delivers tangible performance benefits to end customers in residential and commercial rooftop solar installations.
Infineon launches its first 100V automotive-qualified GaN transistors
