--- title: How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom description: Solid-state transformers combine magnetic components with high-power semiconductors to replace bulky steel-and-copper designs, offering a potential fix for... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom | daily.dev og:description: Solid-state transformers combine magnetic components with high-power semiconductors to replace bulky steel-and-copper designs, offering a potential fix for... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/C1fhzM5dL.png og:image:alt: How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom **[MIT Technology Review](https://daily.dev/sources/technologyreview)** · 9 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Solid-state transformers combine magnetic components with high-power semiconductors to replace bulky steel-and-copper designs, offering a potential fix for grid bottlenecks driven by AI and data center demand. A one-megawatt prototype built by NC State's Srdjan Lukic was tested by the New York Power Authority and EPRI in August, hitting about 98% efficiency versus 96% for an equivalent conventional transformer and rectifier combined, which the source says could cut losses from conventional equipment in half. Heron Power raised $140 million for its 'Heron Link' device and is building a $100 million California factory targeting 40 gigawatts of annual production by 2029. High-voltage transmission applications remain out of reach for now; conventional transformer wait times stretch up to five years. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How efficient is a solid-state transformer compared to a conventional transformer? A one-megawatt solid-state transformer prototype tested by the New York Power Authority and EPRI achieved roughly 98% efficiency, losing only 2% of input energy. An equivalent conventional transformer plus rectifier reaches about 96% efficiency combined, so the solid-state design cuts power losses roughly in half, according to NC State professor Srdjan Lukic, whose lab built the prototype. _Anyone weighing data center power infrastructure can track emerging grid tech like this on daily.dev._ ### Why are conventional power transformers facing such long wait times right now? Large conventional transformers needed for power plants, transmission lines, and high-demand sites like data centers have wait times stretching as long as five years. Manufacturing capacity isn't keeping pace with grid growth because building new transformer factories requires specialized labor and a technical process, so even facilities announced years ago remain years from opening, per Wood Mackenzie analyst Benjamin Boucher. _Engineers planning data center or grid buildouts can follow supply chain shifts like this on daily.dev._ ### What funding has Heron Power raised for its solid-state transformer technology? Heron Power raised $140 million in February to commercialize its solid-state transformer, called the Heron Link, which CEO Drew Baglino says can be used in data centers, solar arrays, and grid batteries. The company is also building a $100 million factory in California, aiming for production to start in 2027 and reach 40 gigawatts of annual output by 2029. _Those tracking energy infrastructure investment can follow deals like Heron Power's on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Why investors are going gaga over solid-state transformers](https://daily.dev/posts/why-investors-are-going-gaga-over-solid-state-transformers-iloip8pq0) · TechCrunch · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Hyperscale Power is the latest startup to challenge 140-year-old transformer tech](https://daily.dev/posts/hyperscale-power-is-the-latest-startup-to-challenge-140-year-old-transformer-tech-qpqtvpqrz) · TechCrunch · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Powering AI is an architecture problem](https://daily.dev/posts/powering-ai-is-an-architecture-problem-9spk2bfce) · MIT Technology Review · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Why Scaling AI Compute Performance Requires a New Power Architecture](https://daily.dev/posts/why-scaling-ai-compute-performance-requires-a-new-power-architecture-rxa6sxhuf) · NVIDIA · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl"},"datePublished":"2026-10-27T09:15:30.578Z","dateModified":"2026-10-27T09:15:59.901Z","description":"Solid-state transformers combine magnetic components with high-power semiconductors to replace bulky steel-and-copper designs, offering a potential fix for...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/b6a30f9a363818961d51118e134b768c?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/b6a30f9a363818961d51118e134b768c?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"MIT Technology Review","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"MIT Technology Review","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/t_logo,f_auto/v1/logos/a8d03889722f4f22b3986e0b395ff076","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/technologyreview"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"","timeRequired":"PT9M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MIT Technology Review","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/technologyreview"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How solid-state transformers could help power the AI boom"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-solid-state-transformers-could-help-power-the-ai-boom-c1fhzm5dl#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How efficient is a solid-state transformer compared to a conventional transformer?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A one-megawatt solid-state transformer prototype tested by the New York Power Authority and EPRI achieved roughly 98% efficiency, losing only 2% of input energy. 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Engineers planning data center or grid buildouts can follow supply chain shifts like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What funding has Heron Power raised for its solid-state transformer technology?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Heron Power raised $140 million in February to commercialize its solid-state transformer, called the Heron Link, which CEO Drew Baglino says can be used in data centers, solar arrays, and grid batteries. The company is also building a $100 million factory in California, aiming for production to start in 2027 and reach 40 gigawatts of annual output by 2029. Those tracking energy infrastructure investment can follow deals like Heron Power's on daily.dev."}}]} ```