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Energy Efficiency Standards

GaN Provides a Robust Solutions in High-Voltage Applications

In the realm of electronic engineering, the trend towards higher operating voltages is a significant development driven by the need for increased efficiency and power density in various applications. Gallium nitride (GaN) technology is emerging as a robust solution to meet these demands.

By Mr. Green

08/01/2024
Smart Home

Wind, Solar, and More

Paris Olympics - Further, Faster, Higher… More Sustainable?

According to Olympics.com, the official website of the Olympics: “previous Summer Games emitted an average of 3.5 million tons of CO2”. Paris 2024 aims to halve that figure and has set its sights on “contributing to the fight against climate change through support for projects aimed at providing environmental benefits, in order to offset more emissions than the Games create.”

By Mr. Green

07/27/2024
Wind, Solar, and More

Does It Make Sense to Cover the Desert with Solar Panels?

So, given that we need more clean energy, covering large tracts of seemingly barren land where the sun is pretty much always shining with solar panels seems an excellent solution.

By Mr. Green

07/01/2024

Welcome to Mr. Green’s Blog

Join us on an exciting journey to see how technology improves energy efficiency and save precious resources for our planet.

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Energy Efficiency Standards

EU Ecodesign Exploring New Ways to Assess Energy Efficiency of Computers

The landscape of computing technology in the EU is poised for a transformation, guided by the principles of sustainability and efficiency. As part of this evolution, Regulation (EU) No 617/2013...

Electric Cars

Streetlight Charging: A Solution for Urban EV Infrastructure

In 2016, London piloted a project in Kensington and Chelsea to convert streetlights into EV charging stations. This involved upgrading fuses for safe power delivery without disrupting the electrical network...

Electric Cars

Charging into the Future: Europe and the United States Race to Build EV Infrastructure

The global shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating, with both governmental incentives and the necessity for climate-friendly alternatives paving the way. This transition hinges largely on a robust, accessible...

Driving Motors

Saving Energy in the Home with BLDC Motors

As efficiency standards continue to rise, the need for better power conversion technology becomes imperative. Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motors are increasingly being utilized in various household applications.

Smart Home

The Future of Electricity in Our Homes

For over a century, alternating current (AC) has been powering devices in our homes, initially for lighting, then later for appliances and electronics as well. Because it was less expensive...

Wind, Solar, and More

The Sport of Stadiums Going Green

Allegiant Stadium, home of Super Bowl LVIII, just became the first NFL stadium powered exclusively by renewable energy. Many sports stadiums and arenas around the world are putting a lot...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

We Already Have EVs, Who Cares About Solar Cars?

Solar cars are the pace cars to the EV revolution. They are a test bed for the leading-edge technology of future electric vehicles. And the bright minds developing solar cars...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Can You Really Use Solar Panels for a Passenger Car?

What happens if you try to use solar cells to power a production EV car? Is it possible or even practical? How big would the array need to be to...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Beat Harsh Environments of the Outback with PowiGaN

PowiGaN is Power Integrations’ internally developed gallium nitride (GaN) technology. In addition to dramatically improving the efficiency of the solar car, PowiGaN technology also offers size reduction, reliability and ruggedness...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Efficient Power Switching – A Key to Decarbonization

Similar to the efficiency benefits it provides the solar car racing across the Australian Outback, PowiGaN Technology can play a key role in the overall decarbonization of our planet.

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Vital Solar Race Telemetry Systems Must be Power Efficient

Any race pushes participants to the very limits of performance. When the purpose of the event is to challenge accepted thinking and try out multiple new technologies, the likelihood of...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Considerations for Solar Car Auxiliary Power

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC) is a 3,000 km drive through the Australia Outback to test the limits of the most efficient solar cars. The electrical systems in any...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Team αCentauri – Bright Minds for a Bright Future

Saturday, October 21 was the final round of dynamic scrutineering at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin, the last test to determine pole position for the World Solar Challenge race start.

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

The World’s Greatest Innovation and Engineering Challenge

Billed today as “the World’s Greatest Innovation and Engineering Challenge,” the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is truly a testing ground for innovations in solar energy harvesting, energy efficiency and storage...

Bridgestone World Solar Challenge

Why is a Global Switcher IC Company Going on Walkabout with a Team of Swiss Students?

Power Integrations just announced sponsorship of αCentauri Solar Racing’s solar car in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Three great reasons make the sponsorship a natural fit for both PI and...

Wind, Solar, and More

Turning Wind Power into Ammonia: A Sustainable Solution

Wind power is the USA's leading source of renewable energy, offsetting 329 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year. However, its expansion faces challenges like geographic limitations and transportation...

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance Standards for External Power Supplies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recently proposed new energy conservation standards for External Power Supplies (EPSs). These proposed standards, known as Trial Standard Level 4 (TSL4), aim to...

Electric Cars

Electric School Buses and Government Subsidies

Almost 500,000 school buses serve approximately 25 million students in the US, driving around 3.4 billion miles a year and eliminating the need for about 17 million cars. Currently only...

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance Standards for Battery Chargers

Beyond test procedure changes, prescribed in the September 2022 Test Procedure Final Rule, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing amendments to energy conservation standards for battery chargers.

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance Standards for Refrigerators and Freezers

To encourage the adoption of efficient technologies such as variable-speed compressors, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to amend energy conservation standards for residential refrigerators and freezers. Historically...

Electric Cars

Four Key Technology Trends for EVs in the US

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more common, and although there are still challenges to overcome (such as scaling up infrastructure), most of the technological barriers have been removed...

Driving Motors

Heat Pumps: The Future of Domestic Heating

In the global quest to curb carbon emissions and foster sustainable living, heat pumps have emerged as a compelling alternative to traditional home heating methods. Unlike conventional systems that burn...

Electric buses charging at the end of a route

Electric Cars

Impact of Climate on the Range of Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a key piece in many governments’ plans to reduce carbon emissions. As more are deployed in a wider range of climates, we are learning about the...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Shop for Efficiency – The Many Aspects of China’s Energy Efficiency Labeling

As the world's largest consumer of energy, China has both the responsibility and incentive to be a global leader for energy efficiency. For a country of 1.4 billion people, promoting...

Energy Efficiency Standards

UK Government’s £1.5 Billion Household Energy Initiative Will Boost Adoption of Advanced Power Electronics

The UK Government recently launched a program called “Help to Heat,”, which aims to significantly reduce the energy bills for approximately 130,000 low-income households across England.

Electric Cars

EV Battery Swapping vs. Extreme Fast Charging

Entering the second decade of the global electric car revolution, battery charging time remains the highest hurdle to clear. Between the two primary solutions, battery swapping versus extreme-fast charging (XFC)...

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance Standards for Microwave Ovens

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a public meeting to present its analysis and proposals for energy conservation standards for microwave ovens. Current standards govern microwave oven standby mode...

Electric Cars

Why Do EVs Still Need 12 V Lead-Acid Batteries? Well, They Don’t!

The continuous advancement of lithium-ion battery technology has given electric cars longer driving range, faster acceleration and more horsepower than ever before. And yet, most EVs on the road today...

Driving Motors

The Next Step Toward the Electrification of Everything

The electrification of transportation is well under way, from land to water, and even the sky. So, what's next? If you live in California, the next step toward the electrification...

Wind, Solar, and More

Growth of Wind Power Over the Next 30 Years

Reducing global CO2 emission depends heavily on renewable power generation. With all but four countries in the world signed up to the Paris Climate Agreement, the pressure is on to...

Driving Motors

Crush Your Beer Fridge

Old refrigerators consume a lot more electricity than the highly efficient models available today. Do a quick calculation, and you would find that you would have been better off buying...

Energy Efficiency Standards

USB-C Chargers Will Soon Deliver Power to All Your Tech

From its humble beginnings as a communication protocol connecting peripherals to PCs, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) has grown to become the dominant power delivery standard for consumer electronics and...

Electric Cars

EVs Need 800 V and 800 V Needs Silicon Carbide

800-volt electric vehicles (EVs) are here and more are coming. 800 V systems started in luxury EVs such as the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-Tron GT, and have since...

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance and Equipment Standards and Rulemaking

By law, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) must review each federal appliance standard every six years and decide whether an update is warranted. If so, it needs to publish...

Energy Efficiency Standards

DOE Appliance Standards – External Power Supplies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a public webinar on March 24 to review its preliminary analysis for External Power Supply (EPS) energy conservation standards. With the strong advancement...

Energy Efficiency Standards

80+ Standard Continues to Drive Innovation

Happy Earth Day! As the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits (ICs) for energy efficient power conversion, Power Integrations celebrates the spirit of Earth Day everyday with innovative technologies that save...

Electric Cars

EU Parliament Approves Road Tolls Reform to Favor Zero-Emission Trucks

After five long years of negotiation, the European Parliament in February approved the Eurovignette Directive reform, offering significant toll discounts to hydrogen and battery-electric heavy goods vehicles. The new rules...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Flex Demand Appliances Move California Toward Net Zero

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is developing flexible (flex) demand standards for consumer appliances. The standards are scheduled to take effect in the third quarter of 2023. Flex demand is...

Energy Efficiency Standards

CEC Low-Power Mode Roadmap

Since the California Energy Commission (CEC) held a workshop in August of 2021 on Low-Power Mode (LPM) data collection, it has received many stakeholder comments on California’s non-regulatory approach to...

Driving Motors

Clean Low Carbon Heating Needs Power Electronics

The recently announced Heat and Buildings Strategy of the UK government has the goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2028. To get there, the government is offering grants of...

Driving Motors

New Efficiency Standards in India Could Push More Ceiling Fans Towards BLDC Motors

India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) uses a Star Rating system to promote energy efficiency in electrical appliances, and ceiling fan gets its own category. The new IS 374:2019 standard...

Energy Efficiency Standards

ENERGY STAR Update 2021

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has offered a Fall 2021 ENERGY STAR® Products Webinar Series in place of the in-person 2021 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting that was canceled because...

Smart Home

EU Online Energy Labeling and Compliance

Five product categories adopted new energy labeling in the EU, re-scaling classifications more meaningfully from A to G to encourage consumers to purchase more efficient products. As buying has migrated...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Better than Free – Italy Offers 110% Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency Home Improvements

The Italian government is offering several incentives to boost its economy, including towns and villages selling abandoned houses for 1 € in exchange for a commitment to renovate. For people...

LED Lighting

ENERGY STAR Televisions Specification V9 Focuses on Dynamic Luminance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is nearing completion of the Final Draft of ENERGY STAR® Television Specification Version 9, first proposed in 2020. Driven by the development of 4K...

Smart Home

Smart Home Devices Need Compact and Efficient Power Supplies

Billions of line-powered smart devices with radios, sensors, actuators, and other connectivity components constantly need electricity. All of them can add up to a significant impact on the worldwide energy...

Wind, Solar, and More

A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

As part of the President’s climate agenda, the White House has announced plans to develop sustainability benchmarks for federal buildings. Buildings account for over 70% of U.S. electricity consumption and...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Proposed Amendments to California Regulations on Computers and Monitors

On November 18, the CEC held an online public hearing on a Notice of Proposed Action to amend Title 20 Computer and Monitor Regulations.

Energy Efficiency Standards

ENERGY STAR Televisions Version 9.0 Draft 1 Specification

The team at ENERGY STAR reviewed the Draft 1 Specification for Televisions Version 9.0 in a stakeholder webinar held on September 30. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish...

Driving Motors

DOE Analyzes Energy Conservation Standards for Room Air Conditioners

On August 5, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a public meeting and webinar on the appliance standard for room air conditioners (ACs). The DOE presented a preliminary analysis...

Energy Efficiency Standards

Proposed Recognition Criteria for ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2021

On July 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a webinar to propose recognition criteria across product categories for the ENERGY STAR® Most Efficient (ESME) 2021. As an extension...

Rapid Charging

DOE Reviews Energy Conservation Standards for External Power Supplies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is examining current energy conservation standards for External Power Supplies (EPS). As defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), an “external power supply”...

Energy Efficiency Standards

New Regulation in China for Room Air Conditioners

Since 2005, China has been promoting energy efficiency with its GB (“Guo Biao”) national standards, setting the scope, parameters, and prescriptive test limits for products ranging from household appliances and...

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