# Transformers and power electronics

Equipment that changes voltage and switches between AC and DC.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/

Conversion and use · Conversion devices · No. 101

- Conversion and use
 Conversion and use · Conversion devices · Foundation · Energy

Grid transformers waste under 1% of their power, yet prices rose about 75% since 2019 and some take four years.

Chart: Illustration: Transformers and power electronics

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Transformers swap voltage through a shared iron core, while fast semiconductor switches turn AC into DC and back for solar, batteries and motors.

##### Three things to know

1. Huawei and Sungrow shipped about 55% of the world's solar inverters in 2024.
2. A standard 2,500 kVA transformer loses 2,782 W even with no load, about 24.4 MWh a year (calculated).
3. Motor drives run at 95 to 97% at full load but only 35 to 61% at very light load.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Generator**AC electricity at one voltage
2. 2 **Transformer**Steps voltage up or down
3. 3 **Rectifier**Turns AC into DC
4. 4 **Inverter**Makes AC at any chosen frequency
5. 5 **End use**Solar farms, motors, chargers, data centres
 Covered in [Moving energy: wires, pipes and shipsEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/moving-energy/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/science/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/valuechain/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/economics/index.md)
- [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/methods/index.md)
- [Equipment and suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/equipment/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_power_electronics/links/index.md)