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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
businesswire | May 18, 2023
Vanguard Renewables is proud to announce that CFE Seafoods, located in Auburndale, MA, is the latest New England food and beverage manufacturer to join the Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program (FPSH). The program aims to collaborate on eliminating food waste from landfills by recycling it into renewable energy on regional dairy farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion. CFE Seafoods joins New England Natural Bakers, Fancypants Baking Co., and Sloop Brewing Co. in a shared mission to redirect food waste, fight climate change, and help to support dairy farmers across the region.
“We are thrilled to have CFE Seafoods join our Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes program,” stated Neil H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Vanguard Renewables. “With a long history of providing grocers and some of the top restaurants around the world with Saltfish, they are committed to the environment and community throughout their business verticals and are a great addition to our Farm Powered movement.”
For more than 50 years, CFE Seafoods has met the discriminating needs — and tastes — of some of the top restauranteurs and seafood grocers in the world. From salting cod following the traditional dry-salting technique to grilled salmon on cedar planks, their long seafaring heritage is a part of every seafood product they offer.
“As a leader in the salted fish industry we believe in sustainability at every level – from how we source our products to our manufacturing process,” stated Justin McAloon, Director of Operations and Compliance, CFE Seafoods. “Joining the Farm Powered Sustainability Heroes Program is a natural extension of our company’s sustainability goals and we look forward to working with our peers in the food and beverage industry to do our part to help mitigate the climate crisis.”
CFE Seafoods credits their employees, the majority of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years, with their success. Each is deeply committed to fulfilling the Company’s mission to provide the industry’s highest quality salted fish products, along with outstanding customer service.
The FPSH program, launched in 2022, is a regional chapter of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA) for regional and single-location food and beverage manufacturers throughout New England who are dedicated to repurposing food and beverage waste into renewable energy. It is a pre-competitive collaboration to share best practices to the benefit of the environment. The FPSA was launched in 2020 with Vanguard Renewables, Dairy Farmers of America, Starbucks, and Unilever as founding partners. It has now grown to include more than 15 large food and beverage manufacturers.
Vanguard Renewables is dedicated to ensuring that all businesses in the food and beverage industry, regardless of size, can be a part of the Farm Powered movement to mitigate climate change.
About Vanguard Renewables
Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company owns and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and currently operates manure-only digesters in the south and west for Dominion Energy. Vanguard Renewables plans to expand nationwide to more than 150 anaerobic digestion facilities by 2026. Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms via Farm Powered anaerobic digestion. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of BlackRock Real Assets.
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INDUSTRY UPDATES
businesswire | April 18, 2023
AVANGRID a leading sustainable energy company and part of the Iberdrola Group, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), the largest multi-utility enterprise owned and operated by a Native American tribe, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to develop up to 1 GW of green energy projects within the Navajo Nation in the states of New Mexico and Arizona.
This partnership will allow the two parties to collaborate and study the feasibility of developing wind and solar projects, as well as battery storage solutions, to create new jobs, create economic development on the Navajo Nation, offset lost revenue on the Navajo Nation, and bring reliable, affordable, and renewable energy to power Navajo Nation businesses and residents.
“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration with the NTUA, which allows us to join efforts to study and develop green energy projects with the potential of bringing important benefits to the region”, said Pedro Azagra, CEO of AVANGRID. “Partnerships like these reflect our steadfast commitment to making a meaningful, positive impact in the lives of the families in the communities where we are present.”
“NTUA Generation has been working diligently to explore renewable energy development opportunities on the Navajo Nation with the promise of new jobs and clean green energy,” said NTUA General Manager Walter Haase.
“We do believe the partnership we have with AVANGRID will advance clean green energy development on the Navajo Nation and will help provide benefits to the communities served by NTUA,” Haase said. “We look forward to the progress this partnership will bring.”
“The Navajo Nation appreciates Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s efforts in the clean energy generation space. As a wholly owned entity of the Navajo Nation, the utility’s tenacity and development of partnerships shows what can be accomplished,” said Navajo Nation President Nygren.
“This partnership is transformative and exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act was intended to encourage. AVANGRID and Navajo Nation’s commitment to explore opportunities together to build clean energy projects will create new revenue streams and lower energy costs for New Mexicans. I hope to see many more innovative partnerships in the coming months and years”, said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich.
As part of this partnership, AVANGRID and NTUA will explore how the projects being contemplated could benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”), the largest climate investment in the U.S. and global history. The IRA opens a path to meaningful emissions reductions in Indian tribes through the development of projects that can help them transition to a cleaner energy economy.
About AVANGRID
AVANGRID, Incaspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $40 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2023, AVANGRID ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. AVANGRID is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A.
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