The history of wind power development is also a history of breakthroughs in inverter innovation. From supporting land-based wind turbines ranging from 1.5-6MW to upgrading to 15MW, and from offshore wind turbines progressing from 8-10MW to 30MW, domestic wind power inverter technology has transitioned from following to keeping pace, and now to leading globally. Throughout this process, Sungrow Power Supply has resonated with the industry, aligning closely with each milestone in the larger wind turbine trend. In 2018, Sungrow pioneered the three-level technology, elevating the voltage level from 690V to 900V, 950V, and 1140V, and has now proposed an even higher 1800V wind power inverter solution, collaborating with wind turbine manufacturers to usher wind power into the 1800V era and assist in the further upgrading of the wind power industry.
From 2023 to 2024, domestic wind turbine units transitioned from 10MW applications onshore to 15MW installations, while offshore wind turbines advanced from 16MW to the launch of the "behemoth" 26MW turbines. The industry achieved a leap in high power output in just one year, a feat that previously took several years to accomplish.
"Correspondingly, in recent years, the voltage level of inverters has rapidly increased from 690V to 950V, and then to 1140V, effectively supporting the trend towards larger turbine units," said Chen Xiaogang, product director of Sungrow's Wind Energy Division, to the Polar Star Wind Power Network. "However, continued scaling up has brought new challenges; our immediate observation is that 1140V will likely struggle to meet future demands for safety, stability, cost reduction, and efficiency under the growing megawatt trend, necessitating a reassessment and planning of future inverter technology routes."
Chen Xiaogang's considerations have led Sungrow's Wind Energy Division (hereinafter referred to as "Sungrow Wind") to innovate and redefine its direction in inverter R&D. This year, at the wind energy exhibition, Sungrow Wind launched its groundbreaking 1800V wind power inverter product, designed with a higher voltage level and optimized overall cost strategy, keeping pace with the times and driving the path of large-scale wind power forward steadily.
1800V: Supporting the Deployment of Ultra-High Power Turbines
Sungrow Wind has consistently provided professional power conversion technology to support the development of larger wind turbines. The newly released 1800V wind power inverter product further raises the voltage level of inverters. Compared to traditional 1140V systems, the increased voltage reduces the grid-side current by 37% for the same power level, significantly lowering losses and improving conversion efficiency, thereby enhancing overall generation efficiency.
Additionally, the reduction in current directly translates into lower cable costs, and the 1800V product better meets the current demand for cost reduction in large megawatt wind turbines by reducing cable weight.
Moreover, the 1800V product is designed within a high-standard safety and regulatory framework, utilizing next-generation 2300V-rated IGBT devices, which offer higher power density and fewer parallel components. The reduced number of IGBT modules, as a core component of the inverter, enhances the overall reliability of the product and lowers operational maintenance complexity.
"Based on customer feedback and market forecasts, the 1800V product is primarily aimed at large-scale onshore turbine models with 10-15MW inverters, as well as ultra-large wind turbines (above 15MW) for both onshore and offshore applications. Currently, this new product is in the testing phase, with plans to complete all type testing and certifications by the end of this year," Chen Xiaogang noted.
Streamlining the Supply Chain to Ensure Stable and Reliable Wind Power
Ensuring the reliability and stability of wind power operations is a pressing challenge that every company has faced since the acceleration of turbine scaling. Sungrow Wind has undertaken extensive work on the overall layout, reducing risks associated with large components, and innovating its supply chain to guarantee product reliability and stability.
In terms of overall layout, the 1800V product builds upon the successful experience of the 1140V three-level design in aspects like initial design, overall layout, control schemes, and cooling systems, leveraging years of expertise in large MW technology to facilitate rapid product iteration.
Furthermore, if current turbines exceeding 15MW continue to use 1140V inverters, the increased rotor current could lead to a decline in mechanical strength and accelerate the wear of critical components. Therefore, the application of the 1800V product is expected to significantly reduce the quality risk of major turbine components.
In terms of supply chain innovation, since proposing the 1800V concept in 2023, Sungrow Wind has continuously engaged with upstream suppliers, developing key components for the 1800V product from the ground up, achieving breakthroughs in critical components including low-voltage electrical equipment and IGBT devices.
For instance, the 2300V-rated IGBT devices employed in the product feature XHP packaging, providing higher power density and further reducing size and weight. In the case of a 16MW water-cooled unit, the number of IGBT modules has been cut from 108 to 54. As previously mentioned, this reduction in the number of IGBT modules also enhances product reliability and system stability.
"We can confidently say that we have established a comprehensive supply chain for the 1800V inverter, making it possible to support ultra-high power turbine units," Chen Xiaogang stated. "Moving forward, we will focus on improving the specifications of key supply chain components and reducing overall costs, while continuously advancing the prototype's implementation and mass production to empower cost reduction and efficiency enhancement in large-scale wind turbines."
Standing at the Forefront: Focusing on Technological Innovation
In the context of high-quality development of new energy and the construction of new power systems, wind power technological innovation is not confined to large power and high voltage; it also encompasses applications in "sandy and barren" scenarios, grid-friendly technologies, and long-distance offshore power transmission, all of which are focal points for Sungrow Wind.
This year, Sungrow Wind continues to refine high-protection wind power inverter products suited for various complex environments such as sandy, saline-alkaline, and offshore conditions, ensuring the reliability of internal electrical components in harsh environments with an IP54 high protection rating, while also reducing operational maintenance difficulties. Currently, this product series has achieved a comprehensive coverage of 3-10 MW.
Simultaneously, Sungrow Wind is actively pursuing grid-forming products, having successfully completed fault ride-through tests under weak grid conditions (SCR<1.6) and achieving stable operation under extremely weak grid conditions (SCR<1.2). As the proportion of new energy generation continues to rise, grid-forming wind power offers significant stability advantages for generation systems, making it a promising area for future development.
For deep offshore wind power transmission, Sungrow Wind has also developed low-frequency transmission wind power inverter products, which facilitate the connection of wind turbine units to low-frequency grid systems, such as a 20Hz grid, ensuring effective power transmission from mid to deep offshore wind farms. Currently, the 20Hz wind power inverter products and overall solutions are in the delivery phase.
"In summary, the development trend of wind turbines is directly aligned with the technological innovation direction of Sungrow Wind's inverters," Chen Xiaogang concluded. "In the future, Sungrow Wind will adhere to a long-term perspective, embedding high quality and high performance into our product DNA, and addressing applications in large power, deep offshore, sandy and barren environments, and the integration of wind, storage, and hydrogen, thereby connecting the upstream and downstream of the wind power industry and driving innovation in core components to empower continuous upgrades in the wind power sector."
