*This Editor’s Note will appear in the June Edition of ECN.
For a while there, one couldn’t escape the popular catchphrase “going green.” It was part of federal mandates and company ad campaigns—then suddenly, the bright green marketing became muted in favor of techier trends. However, eco-friendly technology is still a thriving market, particularly for the automotive and power industries.
When I attended the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in San Antonio, Texas, back in March, I was surprised by the emphasis placed on alternative energy technology. Many companies stressed that this area was still thriving and growing especially in places like Europe where governments have put strict legislation in place. Alternative energy tech is also vitally important to those who live in remote, off-the-grid locations. For instance, solar panels might be the only way for someone in rural area to get power and electricity. This tech is crucial for first responders or military field applications for the same reasons.
The green trend is also still alive and well in the automotive industries. While I explored the booths of the New York International Auto Show, this past April, electric vehicles (EVs) were front and center. Automakers like Tesla are constantly gathering attention for their sleek style and high power offerings. And more traditional players like Ford and Toyota adding EVs to their lineups. Component manufacturers are also developing new ways to power the vehicles and make them more efficient by utilizing Gallium Nitride and Silicon Carbide tech.
Lighting and energy find themselves as a central theme in this month’s ECN. Our issue focus on p. 5, “LiFi Ready for its Moment in the Spotlight,” by John Gilmore from Linmore LED examines the process of using light waves to transmit data instead of traditional methods involving radio waves. This emerging technology enables faster and more secure data transmission and is expected to become more widely used within the next 3-5 years.
Our energy theme can also be found on p. 16 with “Achieving Energy Harvesting with the
Wiegand Effect,” by Christian Fell from FRABA B.V., which discusses generating energy from mechanical motion. This month’s issue also offer a number of tech features beginning on p. 8 that involve sensor technology, including “Advanced Automation Drives Trend to Smart Manufacturing,” by Alix Paultre. This article dives into the rise of automation and robotics in the manufacturing plant, and all the moving parts that go along with that. Key considerations about differential pressure sensors can be found on p. 12 in “What Design Engineers Need to Know about Next-Generation Differential Pressure Sensors,” by Mike Horton from ACEINNA.
As we can see, the idea of “going green” has evolved over the years, but alternative energy technology is still a thriving market that is constantly developing new ways to improve efficiency.