Open Access

REVIEW

A Review on Global Trends in Inverter Topologies, Controllers, Applications, Challenges and Solutions

Md. Liton Hossain^1,*, Md. Zahid Ansary², Jiefeng Hu¹, Syed Islam¹, Maaspaliza Azri³, Norezmi Md. Jamal⁴
1 Centre for New Energy Transition Research, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, Ballarat, Australia
2 Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
3 Faculty of Electrical Technology and Engineering (FTKE), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Hang Tuah Jaya, Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
4 Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Malaysia
* Corresponding Author: Md. Liton Hossain. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Innovations and Challenges in Smart Grid Technologies)

Energy Engineering https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.079961

Received 31 January 2026; Accepted 13 April 2026; Published online 05 May 2026

Abstract

Inverters play an essential and indispensable role in energy conversion within modern electrical power systems. Conventional two-level inverters (2LIs) have been widely adopted across industrial applications due to their simple structure and mature control strategies. However, 2LIs exhibit several limitations when interfacing with utility-scale grid systems, including higher harmonic distortion, increased switching stress, and reduced efficiency in high-voltage and high-power operations. Multilevel Inverters (MLIs) have emerged as a transformative solution, enabling high-voltage and high-power applications with improved efficiency and significantly lower harmonic distortion compared to traditional two-level configurations. This review investigates the broad range of applications of 2LIs, along with their operational constraints, and provides a comprehensive overview of major MLI topologies, including neutral-point-clamped (NPC), flying-capacitor (FC), cascaded H-bridge (CHB), hybrid structures, transformer-based converters, and matrix converters. Key modulation and control techniques are also discussed, such as SPWM, SHE, SVPWM and random PWM. Furthermore, this paper highlights the practical deployment of MLIs in industrial motor drives, renewable energy integration, uninterruptible power supplies, and energy storage systems. Beyond technical aspects, global trends in inverter development are examined by comparing efficiencies, capabilities, and challenges among major manufacturers worldwide. Overall, MLIs are presented as scalable, efficient, and reliable converter solutions for the future of industrial and utility-scale power systems, offering valuable insight into current advancements and promising research directions.

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Keywords

Inverter; MLIs; topologies; controllers; application; industrial inverters; challenges and solutions

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