PCIM 2026 The Faster-Available Alternative to the Traditional Line Transformer

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At PCIM 2026, Amperesand will showcase a SiC-based solid-state transformer for medium-voltage grids—a technical alternative to conventional power transformers. The strongest argument in favor of an SST is not only technical in nature, but above all one of availability.

Amperesand, a company headquartered in Singapore with development offices in San Francisco and Reno, presented a modular SiC-based solid-state transformer at PCIM 2026 in Nuremberg (Germany), which can serve as an alternative to conventional power transformers and downstream converter stages in certain medium-voltage and DC infrastructures.

This is because the traditional power transformer is not only technically bulky but also poses a supply bottleneck; lead times can sometimes stretch to several years. Solid-state transformers are of interest because they could potentially offer more compact, modular, and more easily controllable alternatives for certain applications. They do not automatically solve the current transformer shortage. Instead, they should be viewed more as building blocks for new power grid and data center architectures in which medium voltage is to be converted more directly to DC levels. We spoke with Amperesand CEO Brian Dow at the Wolfspeed booth at PCIM 2026 about technology, the supply chain, and application areas.

The system directly accepts medium-voltage power ranging from 10 to 34.5 kV and converts it to 800 V DC or 1,500 V DC—according to the manufacturer, in a single stage without downstream conversion, with an efficiency of 98.5 percent. One module delivers 200 kW, and the entire system is scalable up to 10 MW. Cooling is provided entirely by a special fluid designed for the operating voltages—without fans, with an IP65 protection rating. Dow specifies a design life of 20 years.

Availability As A Key Selling Point

What the conversation made particularly clear: The strongest selling point right now is less the technology itself than the delivery time. “In Germany, there are currently long delivery times for conventional transformers,” Dow said at the start of the conversation. A statement that hits the nail on the head regarding the current situation. Conventional power transformers often have lead times of a year or more at present, and for large project-specific units, they are significantly longer. According to Dow, Amperesand’s SST takes about 22 weeks from order receipt to delivery.

The system is based on power electronics conversion using silicon carbide as the key technology—and SiC manufacturing capacity has grown significantly in recent years. “We are shifting the supply chain away from traditional heavy copper and steel components toward a technology that is fundamentally based on silicon carbide,” Dow explained. With Infineon, STMicroelectronics, Wolfspeed, and a growing number of other suppliers, the SiC supply chain is now broad-based and scalable.

As Modular As A Server Rack

The mechanical design is engineered for easy maintenance and replaceability. Each 200-kW module is sized so that it can be replaced by two people using a hoist. Dow compares it to a cartridge in a server rack. The entire enclosure is IP55-rated, and the critical power electronics inside are additionally encapsulated.

To this end, the system operates bidirectionally, meaning it can connect to battery storage, process photovoltaic feed-in, and smooth out load peaks from AI data centers. Excess energy can be fed back into the grid. According to Dow, the primary target market is new AI data centers, which are increasingly switching to DC infrastructure.

Port Electricity As A Niche Application With Regulatory Support

An unexpected use case that Dow mentioned during the conversation: shore power for ships in ports. In the EU, large passenger and container ships will be required to use shore power or alternative zero-emission technologies at relevant ports starting in 2030. A typical cruise ship requires 10 to 12 MW while in port. The traditional solution—frequency converter-based systems—requires about four 40-foot containers for this. Amperesand’s SST achieves comparable power output in a slightly larger 10-foot ISO container. According to Dow, the company is already working with a partner at one of Singapore’s largest ports on a pilot installation aimed at European ports. (sb)

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