(Reuters) – A planned $5 billion transmission line to send power from wind farms off the East Coast cleared a hurdle, allowing the Google Inc-backed project to move to the next step in the approval process, officials said. The Department of the Interior declared on Monday there was “no overlapping competitive interest” in proposed areas […]
Power Electronic Tips
NPD Solarbuzz Announces Inaugural China PV Conference in Shanghai, July 19-20
The solar PV industry is currently at its most critical juncture to date. End-market demand has recorded a blistering compound annual growth rate of 76% since 2007, reaching 27 GW during 2011. However, large corporate losses and high-profile insolvencies are being reported regularly, even from legacy market leaders. The China PV industry is formulating plans […]
Fully differential amplifier drives 18-bit ADCs & consumes only 5mW
Linear Technology announces the LTC6362, a low-power fully differential amplifier that can drive high precision 16- and 18-bit SAR ADCs at only 1mA supply current. With 200µV max input offset voltage and 3.9nV/√Hz input-referred noise, it is well suited for precision industrial and data acquisition applications. The LTC6362 has an output common-mode pin with a […]
New SMU capabilities meet power electronics manufacturers’ demands
Power electronics manufacturers are increasingly turning to compound materials, including silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), to create the newest high power electronics. These materials offer much higher power density, smaller size, better high temperature performance, higher frequency response, lower leakage, and lower ON resistance than traditional silicon, for greater operating efficiency. Compound […]
Solar panels cause clashes with homeowner groups
CUMMING, Ga. (AP) — The government wants you to install solar panels at your house, and will even give you a tax break to do it. But your neighbors? Maybe not. It’s a lesson Angel and David Dobs discovered when their homeowners association north of Atlanta denied their request to install solar panels on their […]
TDK offers sample kit with EPCOS common mode toroids
TDK-EPC has produced a sample kit containing six components per nominal size for selected types of EPCOS brand common mode toroids series B82722A (horizontal version) and B82722J (vertical version). These power toroids are designed for a voltage of 250 V AC at currents (IR) of 0.3 to 3 A and inductances (LR) of 1.2 […]
Government incentives continue to finance development of solar photovoltaic semiconductor market
Government incentives that encourage investment in renewable energies will continue to drive technological advances in the global semiconductor market, a new report by semiconductor expert GBI Research has found. The new report* found that government incentives and Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) are providing vital, worldwide support for investors in the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems market, increasing […]
PV module suppliers switch tactics as wafer prices fall 70%
The average price of photovoltaic (PV) wafers in the first quarter of 2012 fell by more than 70 percent in a year according to the latest research released by IMS Research, which was recently acquired by IHS. This dramatic price collapse, caused by a global oversupply, has significantly changed the cost structures and strategies of […]
The Tinker’s Toolbox — Chad Hall of Ioxus
The Tinker’s Toolbox is the Advantage Design Group’s web-based interview show where we talk about the latest technology, components, design, and systems integration issues for the electronic design engineering community. In this edition, Alix Paultre, formerly of ECN, chats with Chad Hall of Ioxus about power quality issues.
15W desktop adapter series is compliant with Level V efficiency standards
Phihong has redesigned its top-selling PSAA15W series to be compliant with Level V energy efficiency requirements, which are now mandatory for all external power supplies sold in the European Union. The 15W adapter series, rebranded the PSAA15W-V, is available in 5-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 48V outputs for use in a wide range of applications, […]