Infineon Technologies AG has officially announced that BRC Solar GmbH has selected its advanced CoolGaN technology as the foundational switching component for its latest Power Optimizer solutions. By integrating the CoolGaN Transistor 100 V family into their state-of-the-art designs, BRC Solar is actively setting new industry benchmarks for power-handling capabilities, thermal management, and overall efficiency within the rapidly expanding renewable energy market.
Revolutionizing Solar Energy with CoolGaN Technology
As the global transition toward renewable energy accelerates, the commercial and residential demand for highly efficient photovoltaic (PV) systems has reached unprecedented levels. At the forefront of this technological evolution is CoolGaN technology, which offers a massive leap forward in power conversion compared to traditional silicon-based alternatives.
The CoolGaN Transistor 100 V devices deliver industry-leading switching performance packaged within a remarkably compact 3 mm x 5 mm footprint. This highly optimized form factor is critically important for solar applications, where physical space is at a premium and thermal heat dissipation remains a persistent engineering challenge. By leveraging this wide-bandgap semiconductor technology, BRC Solar achieves panel-level maximum power-point tracking (MPPT) with unparalleled efficiency and the highest power density available in this specific class of solar hardware.
This strategic hardware selection highlights the rapidly growing adoption of gallium nitride (GaN) devices in critical green energy infrastructure. It proves definitively that superior switching frequencies, drastically reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI), and aggressive cost-competitiveness are no longer optional, but are non-negotiable requirements for modern solar system designers.
Overcoming Rooftop Solar Efficiency Challenges
Rooftop solar installations frequently encounter a fundamental, physics-based obstacle: partial shading. In traditional, legacy string-level MPPT setups, if a single solar panel is obscured by a tree branch, a chimney shadow, or a passing cloud, the electrical current output of the entire connected string plummets to match that of the lowest-performing module.
BRC Solar addresses this severe bottleneck head-on by utilizing CoolGaN technology to implement cost-effective, panel-level MPPT optimization. This intelligent, decentralized approach dynamically isolates the shaded or underperforming panel, effectively eliminating the performance drag on the rest of the solar array. Consequently, residential homeowners and commercial facility managers experience maximized energy yields across their entire installation, completely bypassing the environmental shading limitations.
Unlike legacy silicon MOSFETs, GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) exhibit zero reverse-recovery losses and drastically lower gate charges. This allows the internal circuitry to operate at significantly higher switching frequencies—often exceeding 250 kHz or even 400 kHz—without the crippling heat generation that plagues older architectures. Higher frequencies directly translate to a proportional reduction in the physical size of passive components, such as inductors and capacitors, freeing up vital PCB real estate. This thermal management advantage ensures that the Power Optimizer remains operational and efficient, extending its lifespan even during periods of intense, peak summer sunlight.
Leadership Perspectives on Green Innovation
Executive leaders from both organizations are highly optimistic regarding the tangible environmental impact and commercial benefits generated by this collaborative integration.
“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,” stated Johannes Schoiswohl, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the 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.”
Pascal Ruisinger, CFO at BRC Solar GmbH, echoed these precise sentiments, highlighting the unified vision between the two technology pioneers. “Since its founding, BRC Solar has recognized the transformative potential of gallium nitride technology for achieving best-in-class performance in solar power optimizers. Infineon and BRC Solar share the same vision: to leverage state-of-the-art technologies to benefit the environment and society by delivering optimized green energy through feature-rich and affordable products.”
Balancing Cost, Size, and Efficiency for Installers
The integration of CoolGaN technology represents more than just a profound engineering triumph; it provides a distinct commercial market advantage. Infineon supplies a highly diverse product portfolio that spans both discrete components and fully integrated solutions across an extensive spectrum of voltage requirements. This engineering versatility allows BRC Solar to meticulously refine their Power Optimizer designs, achieving the perfect market equilibrium between automated manufacturing costs, physical hardware size, and daily operational efficiency.
One of the most standout features of BRC Solar’s product portfolio is its inherent operational flexibility. Their module-level power electronics are entirely manufacturer-independent and inverter-independent. This guarantees that installation teams and property owners are never locked into a single proprietary hardware ecosystem. Whether an engineering team is retrofitting an aging ten-year-old solar array or designing a brand-new, smart-grid-integrated commercial facility, BRC Solar’s optimizers can be deployed seamlessly.
The final result is an installer-friendly, highly robust green energy solution. With advanced systems such as the M600-E and the remote-monitoring-enabled M600-M system, BRC Solar delivers reliable, transparent performance tracking, ensuring that modern solar arrays operate at peak efficiency for decades to come.
About BRC Solar
BRC Solar is a pioneering German engineering company specializing in sophisticated module-level power electronics for modern photovoltaic systems. The enterprise develops highly versatile Power Optimizers specifically designed to drastically increase energy yields and improve the long-term efficiency of PV grids. Built upon a foundation of renowned German engineering expertise, BRC Solar’s hardware prioritizes fast, reliable field installation and offers deep monitoring functionalities for the transparent tracking of high-value solar assets.
About Infineon Technologies AG
Infineon Technologies AG stands globally as a premier semiconductor leader, heavily dominating the high-performance power systems and Internet of Things (IoT) hardware sectors. Backed by a dedicated workforce of approximately 57,000 employees worldwide, Infineon is steadfastly committed to driving global decarbonization and rapid industrial digitalization. In the 2025 fiscal year, the corporation generated expansive revenues totaling approximately €14.7 billion. Infineon is publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and trades on the OTCQX International over-the-counter market in the United States (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
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