Industry rises to challenge of energy efficiency
Electronics Weekly, December 31, 2013The importance of power electronic devices in controlling electrical systems is increasing as Governments introduce new standards and consumers demand lower power consumption and greater energy efficiency with ever rising energy costs, writes Reinhold Theurer, vice president EMEA, International Rectifier.
In all areas, technology is driving these efficiencies through continuous R & D with developments such as Gallium Nitride (GaN), being quickly adopted as the future power device technology platform for both industrial and consumer applications.
Electric motor drives account for around 45% of global electricity consumption, encouraging new efficiency-focused legislation driving the adoption of variable-speed electronic control. Other equipment such as TV or PC power supplies are subject to ‘ecodesign’ guidelines such as Energy Star, demanding high energy efficiency from standby to full load.