A bidirectional switch having an input terminal and an output terminal, comprising: a. first and second series connected electronic switch devices (802, 803), each switch device having a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal of the first switch device comprises the input terminal of the solid state bidirectional switch and the drain terminal of the second switch device comprises the output terminal of the solid state bidirectional switch, the source terminals of the first and second switch devices are interconnected at a first control terminal and the gate terminals of the first and second switch devices are interconnected at a second control terminal, and, b. a first control switch connected between the first control terminal and the second control terminal, and, c. a bias terminal connected to the second control terminal through a second control switch, and d. a voltage regulator device connected between the bias terminal and the first control terminal, and e. a capacitor connected in parallel with the voltage regulator device, characterised by, f. the first control switch and the second control switch are photo-transistors and, g. a first rectifier device connected from the input terminal of the switch circuit to the bias terminal through a first current limiting resistor, and h. a second rectifier device connected from the output terminal of the switch circuit to the bias terminal through a second current limiting resistor, and, i. a switch control circuit configured to output a first optical drive signal that controls the first control switch and a second optical drive signal that controls the second control switch, such that first control switch is closed when the second control switch is open and vice versa, and wherein the first and second optical drive signals do not overlap, thereby providing a "break before make" characteristic when switching the first control switch ON and the second control switch OFF and vice versa, and, thereby avoiding discharging the capacitor prematurely during switching. a. first and second series connected electronic switch devices (802, 803), each switch device having a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal of the first switch device comprises the input terminal of the solid state bidirectional switch and the drain terminal of the second switch device comprises the output terminal of the solid state bidirectional switch, the source terminals of the first and second switch devices are interconnected at a first control terminal and the gate terminals of the first and second switch devices are interconnected at a second control terminal, and, b. a first control switch connected between the first control terminal and the second control terminal, and, c. a bias terminal connected to the second control terminal through a second control switch, and d. a voltage regulator device connected between the bias terminal and the first control terminal, and e. a capacitor connected in parallel with the voltage regulator device, characterised by, f. the first control switch and the second control switch are photo-transistors and, g. a first rectifier device connected from the input terminal of the switch circuit to the bias terminal through a first current limiting resistor, and h. a second rectifier device connected from the output terminal of the switch circuit to the bias terminal through a second current limiting resistor, and, i. a switch control circuit configured to output a first optical drive signal that controls the first control switch and a second optical drive signal that controls the second control switch, such that first control switch is closed when the second control switch is open and vice versa, and wherein the first and second optical drive signals do not overlap, thereby providing a "break before make" characteristic when switching the first control switch ON and the second control switch OFF and vice versa, and, thereby avoiding discharging the capacitor prematurely during switching.