Solid-State Transformer (SST) 2026: Compute Power Ignites the Spark, Magnetic Components Take the Crown

I. Why has the solid-state transformer suddenly become a hotspot?

The answer comes down to two words: compute power.

The AI boom of recent years has driven data-center cabinet power density and electricity consumption steadily upward. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global data-center electricity consumption will exceed 1 trillion kWh in 2026. AI cabinet power is leaping from the kilowatt scale to the MW scale, and 'high-density, highly volatile, ultra-large loads' has become the defining trait of the AIDC (AI Data Center).

According to the National Energy Administration, in 2025 the country's total computing-center electricity consumption reached 170 billion kWh, accounting for 1.6% of national total electricity use. The 8 hub nodes of the national 'East Data, West Computing' initiative have grown at an average rate of about 39.5% over the past three years — far above the average growth of total social electricity consumption.

The traditional 'line-frequency transformer + UPS power supply' architecture is beginning to strain under such loads:

• Large footprint: Line-frequency transformers operate at low frequency; after step-down the currents are huge, so a single unit is as big as a wall.

• High losses: Multi-stage AC/DC conversion brings 5%–10% of link losses.

• Slow commissioning: Equipment comes from multiple vendors, making on-site joint commissioning a long process.

• Slow response: Voltage regulation relies on mechanical tap changers — second-level response that cannot keep up with the random fluctuations of photovoltaics and storage.

On October 13, 2025, at the OCP Global Summit, NVIDIA released its white paper 800 VDC Architecture for Next-Generation AI Infrastructure, explicitly listing SST as the 'ultimate long-term evolution solution' for next-generation AI infrastructure and proposing the direction of an 800V high-voltage DC (HVDC) architecture. The white paper offered key data: compared with 54V systems, end-to-end energy efficiency improves by up to 5%; compared with 415V AC or 480V DC architectures, copper cable usage drops by 45% and the same conductor can transmit 85% more power.

Once the direction was set, SST became the critical 'last mile' role — converting medium-voltage AC into 800V DC.

II. What exactly is a solid-state transformer? How does it differ from a line-frequency transformer?

In one sentence: SST replaces the magnetic-coupling step-down of a line-frequency transformer with power-electronic conversion.

A traditional line-frequency transformer uses an iron core + coils to achieve step-down via magnetic coupling at 50/60 Hz. It can only change voltage, not the nature of the current; its size and weight are determined by the line frequency, and it is almost impossible to 'control.'

SST hands this job to power semiconductors, completing an integrated 'isolation + voltage conversion + DC/DC':

Medium-voltage AC → Rectification → High-frequency isolated conversion → Rectified output of 800V DC

Its technical core consists of three indispensable parts:

Technical core	Function	Key requirements
Power devices	High-frequency switching and conversion	SiC (silicon carbide) is a must — high breakdown voltage, high thermal conductivity, standing up to high voltage, high frequency, and high temperature
High-frequency magnetic components	Isolation and energy transfer	Magnetic integration, planar transformers, PCB windings — shrink size and cut losses
Digital control algorithm	Millisecond-level bidirectional power-flow regulation	Adapts to violent GPU load fluctuations, enabling intelligent scheduling

The resulting generational benefits are real:

• Efficiency: system efficiency can reach 98.5% (vs. 5%–10% link losses for traditional solutions);

• Size: at the same capacity, footprint is about 1/5 of a traditional oil-immersed transformer, with weight down about 75%;

• Footprint: saves 30%–50% vs. traditional solutions (some models reach 60%);

• Link: 10kV medium-voltage AC can be converted directly to 800V DC, eliminating multiple energy conversions;

• Regulation: millisecond-level bidirectional power flow, flexibly adapting to renewable-energy fluctuations.
  
  

III. The 2026 industry landscape: from 'should we build it' to 'who can actually build it'

This year the SST track has moved from proof-of-concept into a dense product-launch phase, with almost all leading players entering the field:

• Sungrow released its first fully self-developed SST, EnerNeo, in July, targeting AIDC with power covering 1.5–4.5 MW, availability of 99.999%, system efficiency of 98.5%, and power density of 312 kW/㎡. At launch it signed framework procurement agreements with Dongyangguang and China Union Data, and joined Alibaba Cloud to establish a 'Green Token Joint Innovation Center.'

• NARI Technology's subsidiary C-EPRI launched its second-generation 'Rui' series full-scenario SST (RuiPan / RuiTing / RuiRong / RuiShu) at the end of June, precisely covering four scenarios: AI supercomputing centers, super charging stations, renewable-energy grid integration, and smart grids.

• Jinpan Technology released its Yuanshen ONE series SST at the beginning of the year, with efficiency above 98% and over 60% footprint savings.

• Zhiguang Electric jointly with Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute globally debuted Coota 1.0, with single-unit power of 4.2 MW.

• Delta, Xinfengguang, Tgood, Eaton, and others have also rolled out their respective solutions, some already in mass production or with annual capacity exceeding 200 units.

The market opportunity is equally enticing. BloombergNEF projects that by 2030 the global SST market will reach 120 billion yuan, and multiple brokerages judge that industry penetration could rise rapidly after commercial batch deliveries, heading toward the hundred-billion scale.

What must be calmly recognized: the inflection point has appeared, but large-scale deployment is still bottlenecked by cost and reliability. The commercial pace of SST is tightly bound to the industrialization of SiC devices; an OEM must close the loop on 'hardware + control + system + customer validation' — which is no overnight feat.

IV. From magnetic components to system: our entry point for SST R&D

This is the section we most want our peers and procurement readers to read.

OEMs are competing on topology, control, and system, but the essence of SST's high-frequency shift is replacing the traditional bulky line-frequency magnetics with a series of high-frequency magnetic devices operating at 20 kHz and beyond. High-frequency operation directly drives an upgrade in demand for magnetic components — and this is precisely the 'decisive factor' for SST efficiency and size:

1. High-frequency / planar transformers: Replace traditional Litz-wire windings with PCB windings — smaller, lower loss, better consistency.

1. Magnetic integration: Integrate multiple distributed magnetic components into one, reducing part count, shortening the power loop, and lowering parasitic parameters.

1. Power inductors: Meet the filtering and energy-storage needs of SiC high-frequency switching.

1. Common-mode / differential-mode inductors: Suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) under high-frequency operation, ensuring compliance and stability.

1. Current transformers: Provide high-precision current sampling for the digital control algorithm.

It can be said that the smarter and more compact the SST, the deeper its reliance on magnetic components. This is neither the strong suit of the OEM nor something a semiconductor maker can fully handle — it requires specialized magnetic-device design and manufacturing capability.

And this is precisely the foundation of Boulder Electronics' confidence in entering the solid-state transformer track. We have dedicated 28 years to high/low-frequency transformers, differential/common-mode inductors, power inductors, current transformers, and specialized customization, and possess full-chain capabilities spanning from magnetic-device design and magnetic-integration solutions to scaled manufacturing. Facing the emerging SST track, what we provide is exactly that set of 'invisible yet most critical' magnetic components underpinning the performance of the complete machine:

• Custom development of planar / high-frequency transformers for SiC high-frequency operation;
• Magnetic-integration solutions that help OEMs reduce cost and improve efficiency;
• Power inductors and common-mode / differential-mode inductor combinations meeting EMI and reliability requirements;
• Current transformers and sensing magnetics co-defined with OEMs.

We do not build the complete machine, yet every efficient, compact, and reliable SST relies on a fully optimized set of magnetic components behind it — this is how we define our own value, and where we create incremental value for our customers.

V. In closing: the fire is lit, the momentum has risen

In 2026, SST is no longer just a technical term in the lab. The spark of compute power ignites not only the commercialization of SST, but also the spillover of scenarios from data centers to full-domain energy — vehicle supercharging, storage, photovoltaics, wind power, green-hydrogen production, and smart distribution grids are all waiting for this 'intelligent energy router' to land.

A Hu'an Securities research report points out that the 800V DC architecture can reduce out-of-cabinet electrical-equipment costs by 75% and distribution losses by 53%; CICC believes SST fits computing-power–electricity coordination and can cooperate with storage to achieve grid peak shaving and frequency regulation. The trend is clear: the enterprises that first connect 'hardware manufacturing' with 'scenario definition' will hold the initiative in this reconstruction.

For magnetic-component manufacturers, this is a structural opportunity. High-frequencying, integration, and customization are rewriting the design rules of magnetic devices. We will continue to invest in the design and manufacturing upgrade of magnetic components, working with OEMs and system integrators to make every kilowatt-hour of electricity more efficient and more reliable.

The fire is lit, the momentum has risen. Compute power is only the starting point; the full domain is the battlefield — and we, using magnetic components as our fulcrum, are steadily entering the independent R&D of solid-state transformers, becoming the most solid set of 'magnetics' in this energy revolution.