NREL Develops Ultraefficient, Low-Cost Silicon Carbide Power Module to Address Global Energy Demands

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has introduced a new silicon-carbide-based power module designed to meet surging global energy demands from data centers, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing.

The device, called the Ultra-Low Inductance Smart (ULIS) power module, achieves five times greater energy density than conventional designs, while being smaller, lighter, and more affordable to manufacture. NREL researchers believe this could set a new benchmark for power electronics efficiency.

According to Faisal Khan, NREL’s chief power electronics researcher, ULIS delivers ultrafast switching with parasitic inductance levels seven to nine times lower than today’s best designs. Operating at 1200 volts and 400 amps, the module is suited for applications ranging from data centers and power grids to aviation, microreactors, and military vehicles. It also includes built-in monitoring to predict failures in advance, improving reliability in mission-critical environments.

The module’s distinctive flat, octagonal design, explained by NREL researcher Shuofeng Zhao, enables maximum magnetic flux cancellation and higher efficiency. Instead of rigid ceramics, ULIS uses Temprion polymer bonded with copper, allowing for flexible, lightweight construction at a fraction of the usual cost—hundreds rather than thousands of dollars.

Further innovations include a wireless communication protocol, led by NREL’s Sarwar Islam, that allows the module to function as a modular, cable-free unit. The design is also “future-proofed” to support upcoming semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride and gallium oxide.

By combining low cost, ultrahigh efficiency, and reliability, ULIS is expected to play a significant role in modernizing power electronics across energy-intensive industries.