In this context, power electronics plays a crucial role as a key technology across various sectors, as the electrification of many applications is considered a prerequisite for a climate-neutral energy system transformation.
The three presentations at the PCIM Europe Conference will focus on power electronics innovations and trends related to sustainability.
"How Life Cycle Assessments Influence the Design of Power Electronics Converters," presented by Franz Musil Power Electronics at Fronius International, addresses the holistic assessment of the environmental impact of a converter system through life cycle analysis. The presentation will explain this concept in detail using two examples: a photovoltaic inverter and a welding machine. The knowledge gained about environmental impact will be used for product development and new performance indicators in the evaluation of power electronic systems.
Holger Borcherding, Scientific Director of the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts, will deliver the keynote address entitled "On the Way to the DC Factory - The Open Industrial DC Grid for Sustainable Production Sites is Entering the Dissemination Phase" on the second day of the event. This session will focus on direct current (DC) grids for industrial applications. DC grids promise greater energy efficiency, due in part to the minimal losses during energy transfers and the elimination of the AC/DC conversion that would otherwise be required.
The proper use of DC grids in industrial plants can significantly contribute to increased energy efficiency and, consequently, greater sustainability in the future.
On the third and final day of the conference, Munaf Rahimo, President and Founder of MTAL, will present the paper "HV Silicon and SiC Power Semiconductors - Key Components for Sustainable Energy Solutions," focusing on high-power, high-voltage semiconductors and their crucial importance for industrial manufacturing and power grids.
Unlike, for example, electromobility, where low-voltage semiconductors are used, power grids are expected to operate 24 hours a day for many years. "With the increasing use of renewable energy sources and the overall rise in the demand for electricity, the semiconductor industry faces the challenge of providing suitable devices for these applications," explains Drazen Dujic of the Power Electronics Laboratory at EPFL.
All sessions of the conference will address sustainable topics in which power electronics plays a key role, from renewable energy generation to energy storage solutions and power electronics-related energy efficiency in e-mobility.
In addition to countless product innovations from exhibiting companies in this field, PCIM Europe also offers a focus on this topic with the E-Mobility & Energy Storage Zone. "Electromobility and energy storage represent essential components of a decarbonized and therefore sustainable future," summarizes Frank Osterwald of the Gesellschaft für Energie und Climaschutz Schleswig-Holstein. Electromobility is driving new developments in power electronics, but it also raises many questions that technological advancements can raise. At PCIM Europe, science and industry are working together to clarify these open questions.
