*This Editor’s Note will appear in the April Edition of ECN.
Although power was the main focus of last month’s ECN, I recently returned from the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in San Antonio, Texas, and I thought this world of technology deserved a reprisal. Over the course of three days, I made my way from booth to booth, noticing some similarities in the offerings and product demonstrations along the way. Here are the five takeaways from the power electronics industry that I got on my trip to APEC.
1: Cut the Cord
Practically every company I visited showed me their way to improve charging, and almost all of them included some form of wireless charging. The majority of companies opted to use the Qi standard, especially in the wake of Apple’s support for this standard with the release of the iPhones 8, 8 Plus, and X. However, the technology did not end there. Wireless charging stations offered better connection for devices, so users won’t have to be so precise on the placement of their phones. They are also looking to support larger gadgets including, small appliances, tablets, and laptops.
2: Make It Smaller, Faster, and More Powerful
For those devices that need to be tied down, companies are also striving to improve the charging experience with rapid charging offerings. This technology is gaining significance particularly with the rise of electric vehicles (EV). Companies including GaN Systems, STMicroelectronics, Power Integrations, and more touted their versions that could fully charge a vehicle in minutes.
3: Electric Vehicles
Beyond charging them rapidly, companies showcased their Galium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) tech for EV batteries and performance. Both GaN and SiC boast extremely low power losses, making them more efficient, which enables these cars to drive further distances with more power. They can also deliver this power in a smaller, lighter package, which is particularly important to the automotive industry.
4: IoT Is Shining a Spotlight on Data Centers
With Internet of Things (IoT) technology becoming increasingly popular, all the information gathered from various sensors needs to go somewhere. This is where data centers come into play, so getting the most amount of power and efficiency is critical.
5: Alternative Energy Is Not Dead
For a while, green tech was so ubiquitous you couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without running into something with a solar panel. And while the enthusiasm might have leveled off a bit, it is still a growing market, particularly for the military, first responders, or people living in remote and rural areas.
After checking out the tech on display at APEC and getting a deeper understanding of the direction power is headed, I’m excited to see this technology being integrating into our gadgets and cars in the coming months and years.
