ENERGY
Power Integrations | March 21, 2023
Power Integrations, the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits (ICs) for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced a 900-volt gallium-nitride (GaN) extension to the company’s InnoSwitch3™ family of flyback switcher ICs. The new ICs, which feature the company’s proprietary PowiGaN™ technology, deliver up to 100 watts with better than 93 percent efficiency, eliminating the need for heat sinks and streamlining design of space-challenged applications. InnoSwitch3 designs also offer exceptional light-load efficiency making them ideal for providing auxiliary power in electric vehicles during low-power sleep modes. The AEC-Q100-qualified InnoSwitch3-AQ family is particularly suitable for EVs based on 400-volt bus systems where the 900-volt PowiGaN switch provides more power and increased design margin―required for 12-volt battery-replacement systems―with enhanced efficiency over silicon-based converters.
“The dominant bus voltage for electric vehicles is 400 volts,” stated Peter Vaughan, automotive business development director at Power Integrations. “EV manufacturers are optimizing their new generation of 400-volt systems and re-engineering various power stages in the vehicle, such as the on-board charger. The 900-volt PowiGaN switch is extremely beneficial because it easily accommodates inductive noise spikes, yet it can operate from as low as 30 VDC, enabling systems to meet functional safety active discharge requirements. The extra power delivered by our GaN technology matches the increasing power demands of EV manufacturers, moreover, efficiency in power conversion―even in auxiliary systems―is important for both range extension and thermal management.”
In the industrial space, extra power and increased efficiency are extremely advantageous in applications such as appliances, three-phase motors and auxiliary power supply units (PSUs) in servers. The new 900-volt parts are pin-for-pin compatible with existing 725-volt and 750-volt InnoSwitch3-EP parts and offer increased safety margin which is ideal for countries with unstable line voltages.
“Our ability to deliver GaN parts rated at up to 900 volts demonstrates the reliability and ruggedness of our PowiGaN technology,” stated Silvestro Fimiani, senior product marketing manager at Power Integrations.
The new 900-volt InnoSwitch3-EP and InnoSwitch3-AQ off-line CV/CC flyback switcher ICs employ synchronous rectification, a valley switching discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) and continuous conduction mode (CCM) flyback controller. FluxLink™ communication technology enables the IC package to bridge the isolation barrier, optimizing efficiency and eliminating the need for optocouplers. PowiGaN technology enables InnoSwitch3-EP ICs to deliver up to 100 watts (230 volts alternating current [VAC] plus or minus 15 percent) without heat sinks. InnoSwitch3-EP devices incorporate multiple protection features including line over- and under-voltage protection, output over-voltage and over-current limiting, and over-temperature shutdown. Devices are available with standard and peak power delivery options. Automotive InnoSwitch3-AQ devices can also deliver 100 watts from a 400-volt bus and provide performance and protection features similar to those of the popular 1700-volt silicon-carbide InnoSwitch3-AQ ICs currently used in 800-volt EV systems.
Availability & Resources
Pricing for the new 900-volt GaN InnoSwitch3-EP devices for industrial applications start at $2.00 for 10,000-unit quantities. For the InnoSwitch3-AQ automotive-qualified devices or further information on all Power Integrations’ solutions, contact a Power Integrations sales representative or one of the company’s authorized worldwide distributors: Digi-Key, Farnell, Mouser and RS Components, or visit power.com.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations, Inc. is a leading innovator in semiconductor technologies for high-voltage power conversion. The company’s products are key building blocks in the clean-power ecosystem, enabling the generation of renewable energy as well as the efficient transmission and consumption of power in applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts.
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SOLAR+STORAGE
CPS Energy | February 10, 2023
On February 09, 2023, CPS Energy, a utility company, reached agreements with three companies, completing its FlexPOWER Bundle initiative, which was released as a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2020.
This initiative will deliver 580 megawatts (MW) of solar, 500 MW of natural gas and 50 MW of storage capacity of green energy. In addition, CPS Energy will release a separate RFP for adding 320 MW of solar capacity, including solar community proposals, and update its generation portfolio. Regarding the agreements, Calpine, a power company, will provide approximately 500 MW of firming capacity; Ashtrom Renewable Energy firm, in collaboration with OnPeak Power, will provide 100 MW; and green energy investor Eolian will grant exclusive rights for 50 MW of energy storage.
San Antonio Mayor, Ron Nirenberg, said, "When we launched the FlexPOWER Bundle, we cast an international net to see what new technologies we could procure for our community." He added, "These last three agreements signify years of hard work and will provide reliable generation to our community. We look forward to our new partnerships and what they will mean for the City of San Antonio."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
President and CEO of CPS Energy, Rudy D. Garza, said, "Securing these last three agreements marks the end of a more than two-year long process that the CPS Energy team has been working diligently on." He added, "The FlexPOWER Bundle was created to further diversify our generation mix, which we have accomplished, and we look forward to continuing to add solar capacity to our portfolio with a new 320 MW RFP to be launched in the coming months."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About CPS Energy
Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, CPS Energy, a municipally owned electric and natural gas company, is providing secure, affordable services across the Greater San Antonio area. It focuses on job creation, educational investment, clean energy investment, and economic development as a community partner. With employees' volunteerism and commitment to the community, it has conducted programs that add value to the customers, offering reliable power along with sensitivity towards the environment. Its partners include companies working for clean energy, efficiency, and innovation, especially in solar power. It specializes in the fields of public utilities, renewable energy, electricity, and natural gas
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STRATEGY AND BEST PRACTICES, INDUSTRY UPDATES
Enel | February 09, 2023
Enel North America, a prominent North American sustainable energy firm, built 1.98 gigawatts (GW) of wind, solar, and battery storage capacity throughout the United States and Canada in 2022. Additionally, in 2022, the business built about 550 MW of new demand response capacity and have 119 MW of distributed energy storage deployed or under contract.
Enel Green Power, Enel's renewables company, finished 2022 with numerous new clean power facilities in North America, including the 250 MW 25 Mile Creek wind project in Oklahoma, the 270 MW Blue Jay solar project in Texas, and others. The Blue Jay project also includes a paired battery storage facility, which is scheduled to open in 2023. Approximately the year, Enel added over 5.2 GW of additional renewable capacity worldwide.
Enel signed around 630 MW worth of power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2022, including arrangements with Campbell Soup Company, McDonald's, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and five members of its North America Logistics Council, among others. In addition, Enel inked virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) in late 2022 with Verizon for a 100 MW share of the wind farm's production and MathWorks for an 11 MW component to support the 25 Mile Creek wind project. Previously, The Clorox Company signed a VPPA for 47 MW of the project.
As the need for clean energy develops, Enel continues to invest strategically in developing North American energy resources. At the company's annual Capital Markets Day demonstration to investors in November 2022, Enel announced plans to invest approximately $5 billion in the North American market between 2022 and 2025 to develop around 5 GW of new utility-scale renewable and battery energy storage capacity. In addition, by 2025, Enel plans to construct 155 MW of distributed energy storage and 475 000 charging connections.
About Enel North America
Enel North America, a division of the Enel Group, is a leader in clean energy in North America and is operating to electrify the economy and develop a net-zero carbon future by decarbonizing energy supply, creating resilient grids, electrifying transportation, and promoting a just and equitable transition. Enel North America provides renewable power production, distributed energy resources, demand response, intelligent e-mobility solutions and services, energy trading, advice and consultancy services, and more to over 4,500 enterprises, utilities, and communities. Its portfolio comprises over 9.6 GW of utility-scale renewable power, 606 MW and 910 MWh of utility-scale energy storage, 76 MW and 174 MWh of distributed energy storage capacity, 4.7 GW of demand response capacity, and 160,000 charging stations for electric vehicles.
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