# Solid-state transformers could ease the grid's power crunch > New transformer technology using semiconductors could help utilities meet surging electricity demand from data centers and electric vehicles. - Title: Solid-state transformers could ease the grid's power crunch - Summary: New transformer technology using semiconductors could help utilities meet surging electricity demand from data centers and electric vehicles. - Keywords: solid-state transformers, power grid, semiconductors, data centers, electricity transmission, heron power, north carolina state university, new york power authority, electric power research institute, grid infrastructure, power supply chain, MIT Technology Review - Source: MIT Technology Review — https://technologyreview.com/2026/10/27/1147684/solid-state-transformers - Read time: 3 min - Topics: solid-state transformers, power grid, semiconductors, data centers, electricity transmission, heron power, north carolina state university, new york power authority, electric power research institute, grid infrastructure, power supply chain, technology ## Transformers power the grid but need an upgrade Transformers move electricity across long distances but rely on century-old designs using specialized steel and copper wire. Rising demand from electric vehicles and data centers is straining the system. ## How conventional transformers work Transformers step voltage up and down using coils of copper wire around a steel core. Magnetic induction transfers energy between coils at different voltages, allowing electricity to travel efficiently over long distances. ## The voltage journey from solar to home Electricity from a solar plant might be converted to four hundred eighty volts, stepped up to one hundred fifteen thousand volts for transmission lines, then stepped down to one hundred twenty and two hundred forty… ## Transformers provide safety and stability Transformers provide galvanic isolation, meaning no direct electrical path flows through them. This helps limit disturbances from moving through the grid and improves safety across the system. ## The problem with today's transformers Current transformers are big, bulky, and difficult and expensive to replace. Srdjan Lukic, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, says they form the backbone of electricity transmission. ## Solid-state transformers use semiconductors Solid-state transformers add power electronics using semiconductors like silicon carbide to control frequency and stability. They convert incoming AC power to DC, then to higher-frequency AC using semiconductor switches. ## Smaller magnetic cores mean compact devices Because semiconductors allow precise control over frequency and current stability, the magnetic core can be much smaller than in conventional transformers. Some solid-state models are roughly one-tenth the size but have the same capacity. ## Solid-state transformers do more jobs Solid-state transformers absorb the jobs of rectifiers and inverters, which convert AC to DC power and vice versa. This shrinks the total footprint of electrical equipment and cuts power losses in the system. ## First real-world test shows promise In August, the New York Power Authority and the Electric Power Research Institute tested a one-megawatt solid-state transformer at EPRI's test site. ## Efficiency gains cut power losses in half The prototype was roughly ninety-eight percent efficient, losing only two percent of energy fed in. An equivalent conventional transformer and rectifier would be about ninety-six percent efficient together, cutting losses in half. > A difference of 2% might seem small, but it is significant, since it means the solid-state transformer could cut power losses from conventional equipment in half. ## Heron Power raises funding to commercialize In February, Heron Power raised one hundred forty million dollars to commercialize its solid-state transformer, called the Heron Link. The technology could be used in data centers, solar power arrays, and grid batteries. ## Modular design prevents total system failure Solid-state transformers have more failure modes than conventional devices. Heron designs with modularity in mind, using many small devices working together so one failure does not shut down the entire system. ## Heron building factory for mass production Heron Power is building a one hundred million dollar factory in California to make advanced transformers.The facility should begin production in twenty twenty-seven and reach full production of forty gigawatts per year in twenty twenty-nine. ## Grid bottleneck threatens infrastructure Wait times for large conventional transformers now stretch as long as five years.Benjamin Boucher, a supply chain analyst at Wood Mackenzie, says transformers have become one of the biggest bottlenecks for utilities and data centers. > Transformers have become one of the biggest bottlenecks for utilities, generation developers, and even data centers. ## High-voltage transformers remain the challenge Solid-state transformers could ease supply pressure but high-voltage devices for power plant connections and transmission lines are the ultimate goal. The industry must develop new materials and designs to support high voltages safely. ## Key takeaway Solid-state transformers using semiconductors could ease grid bottlenecks by shrinking equipment size and cutting power losses, though high-voltage versions for long-distance transmission remain in development.