Ideal Power Inc (NASDAQ:IPWR) announced on Monday its first design win for solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) through a partnership with one of Asia's largest circuit protection equipment manufacturers.
The agreement includes joint development of a SSCB product incorporating Ideal Power’s B-TRAN devices, according to a statement from the company.
Design, prototyping, and testing is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2025, with commercial sales to follow later that year.
Ideal Power estimates potentially generating several hundred thousand dollars in revenue in the first year and exceeding $1 million in the second.
The Asian manufacturer, which produces over 200,000 circuit breakers annually, plans to use the B-TRAN technology for applications such as renewable energy systems, utility grid infrastructure, and power distribution. Their first B-TRAN-enabled SSCB will target grid-tied solar and energy storage providers, as well as utility electric distribution networks.
Future applications could extend to data centers, electric vehicles, and energy storage solutions, the company added.
Ideal Power’s B-TRAN technology was chosen over silicon carbide MOSFETs due to its ultra-low conduction losses and bidirectional functionality, which reduces the number of devices required for SSCBs. Compared to conventional electromechanical breakers, B-TRAN-based SSCBs promise faster operation, programmability, enhanced safety, and reliability.
“Now that we have captured our first design win for SSCBs, we will leverage this win to secure additional design wins with other SSCB customers in the coming months to drive long-term value creation for our shareholders,” said Dan Brdar, Ideal Power’s CEO.
Ideal Power estimates a $1 billion serviceable addressable market in the solid-state switchgear sector, encompassing industrial, utility, and military customers.