How the electronics industry is rising to the challenge of new alternative energy sources.
With global energy markets across the world in upheaval, alternative energy — a relatively hot topic for years — has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight. With global geopolitical situations destabilizing the fossil fuel market for many countries, energy companies and consumers alike are looking for solutions to solve challenges around sustainability, pricing, and supply. In this article, we’ll look at the alternative energy landscape, discuss some of the megatrends driving change in the energy market, explore alternative energy sources, and discuss how enterprises in the semiconductor market are developing technology to meet the demands of alternative energy solutions.
Why Alternative Energy? Why Now?
Alternative energy largely has its roots in a desire to migrate away from fossil fuels. This impetus is primarily driven by climate impacts from traditional fossil fuel sources. As weather extremes become more dramatic across the globe, alternative energy is viewed as a potential (and admittedly partial) solution to help offset the damage from the production and burning of fossil fuels.
Combined with widespread growth in high-capacity and high-usage electric products — such as electric vehicles and data centers — there is increasing pressure to find additional and alternative energy sources to help fuel these demanding products.
What Is Alternative Energy and What Are Common Alternative Energy Sources?
The term itself — “alternative energy” — might seem ambiguous, but its definition is quite succinct. Alternative energy is simply any energy source that does not deplete natural resources or cause harm to the environment. Some would simplify it even further to state that alternative energy is any energy source that does not use fossil fuels. There is also some disagreement about whether nuclear energy qualifies as an alternative energy source. For the purpose of this article, we will suggest that it does not, as it requires the mining and use of rare nuclear materials.
So, what are common alternative energy sources? The most used today come from three natural forces that produce significant amounts of energy: the wind, the sun, and the sea. Wind power, solar, and hydroelectric production have seen massive growth, particularly in the consumer market. According to the International Energy Agency, the amount of electricity produced by wind power increased by 17% in 2021, which was 45% higher growth than the prior year. At the same time, hydro power is also experiencing significant growth and is expected to grow as much as 17% by 2030. While traditional hydro power — the type generated from stored water in lakes and reservoirs that is released through turbines to create electricity — is the most common type of hydro power, tidal power is also gaining traction as an alternative energy source. By harnessing the energy created through the natural rising and falling of the ocean, as well as naturally occurring ocean currents, this alternative energy source has significant potential to help offset the world’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Bioenergy is another up-and-coming alternative energy source. Bioenergy technologies essentially enable the use of bio-waste — such as that from crop waste, forest residue, urban wood waste, and food waste — as an energy source. This type of material can be used to fuel cars and trucks, create bioproducts, and even as a source of power generation. A U.S. Department of Energy study suggests that by 2040 the U.S. could produce as much as 1 billion dry tons of non-food biomass resources every year — while still meeting demands for food for both humans and livestock.
Alternative Energy and the Semiconductor Industry
One of the challenges of alternative energy is that the amount of energy produced is not as instantaneous and powerful as traditional energy sources. To put it succinctly, the quality of power is not always steady. However, advancements in the semiconductor industry are enabling a new generation of alternative energy sources and production capabilities that are opening the door to these alternative energy solutions.
One of the key technology drivers for alternative energy is the use of high band-gap semiconductor material in power products, specifically silicon carbide (SiC). As a semiconductor material, SiC is uniquely capable of managing high-voltage and high-frequency energy loads while maintaining reliably clean power with minimal losses. As such, SiC has quickly found a home in alternative energy systems to help hold onto the power that is generated and reliably transmit the power from device to device. One example is the C3M0015065K MOSFET from Wolfspeed. This discrete SiC MOSFET has incredibly low on-state resistances and switching losses — making it a star in energy storage systems.
Other wide band-gap materials, such as gallium nitride (GaN) have also gained popularity for use in alternative energy applications. Manufacturers like Infineon, Littelfuse, Microchip, and Nexperia have all expanded their power portfolios and made significant investments toward wide band-gap semiconductors.
Opportunity Remains
With global dynamics constantly shifting and a new era of electric vehicles swiftly arriving, opportunities for new alternative energy sources remain boundless. With advancements in semiconductors and the proliferation of wide band-gap materials, the electronics industry will continue to evolve to meet these coming challenges.
