Energy Efficiency Driving Innovation

By William Opalka, Energy Manager Today , Published 06 January 2014

​Emphasis on energy efficient products over the next decade is expected to drive an expanding use of digital power management in applications such as DC-DC converters, says Reinhold Theurer, vice president EMEA in Electronics Weekly .

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. Manufacturers are replacing electro-mechanically actuated systems using

AC-induction or brushed-DC motors with permanent magnet variable-speed drives.

Electric motor drives account for around 45 percent of global electricity consumption, encouraging new efficiency-focused legislation driving the adoption of variable-speed electronic control. Legislation on low-power lighting is expected to save millions of tons of CO2 emissions through using power-electronics ballasts or drivers. Another area of interest is digital power management as it enters a rapid adoption phase after being a niche technology for several years.