Navitas Semiconductor and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne announced the exhibition of a 250 kW solid-state transformer (SST) solution at APEC 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
The SST platform was developed by EPFL’s Power Electronics Laboratory and is designed to support the grid architecture required by next-generation data centers. The system replaces bulky low-frequency transformers while improving end-to-end efficiency. The design uses a single-stage, modularized bridge rectifier SST topology to convert 3.3 kV AC to 800 V DC at 250 kW power, enabling improved performance and modularity for modern data center infrastructure.
The demonstrator is built using Navitas GeneSiC ultra-high voltage 3300 V and high-voltage 1200 V silicon carbide trench-assisted planar MOSFETs and modules. The project is part of the Power Electronics Laboratory’s HeatingBits initiative, which aims to deploy and evaluate advanced power technologies inside EPFL’s operational data center.
According to Navitas, the collaboration demonstrates how medium-voltage power conversion can address the energy and thermal challenges associated with AI data centers. By combining high-voltage silicon carbide devices with a single-stage solid-state transformer architecture and advanced real-time control, the system enables scalable 800 V DC power distribution designed to improve efficiency from the grid to server racks while also supporting potential heat reuse.
EPFL researchers highlighted that the SST platform provides a galvanically isolated, scalable, and efficient interface between the medium-voltage AC grid and an 800 V DC data center architecture. The system also serves as a real-world experimental platform for advanced distributed control methods.
The Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) takes place from March 22 to 26 in San Antonio, Texas, where representatives from both Navitas and EPFL’s Power Electronics Laboratory will present the demonstrator at the Navitas booth.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor