Every engineer sets out to design for maximum performance of their system, power supply, or any other product they are working on. But what does designing for performance mean? In terms of power solutions, this may refer to the typical tradeoff of size, weight, and power (SWaP) factors, perhaps even including cost (SWaP-C) factors. Designing for energy performance (typically measured in terms of efficiency metrics) implies a focus on optimizing the performance of power supply energy consumption...

Small and medium-sized businesses are highly exposed to high energy prices, and the International Energy Agency and the European Commission held a high-level event to raise awareness of what governments, businesses, and related stakeholders can do to empower and protect these backbones of the European economy. At the online event, which was led by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, the Commission presented support measures that are already avai...

Cuvée Systemsâ in partnership with Luminus, has announced its newest addition to the EZI-Set family of compact drivers – the DITR round in-track driver. EZI-Set DITR series The EZI-Set DITR series provides a unique, round form factor in-track driver suited for track-mounted pendants, downlights, and area lights as well as conventional track lights. In contrast to a long, in-track driver, the compact 57mm diameter form factor complements the design of round light fixtures ma...

High Power Charging (HPC) stations have a charging power of at least 100 kW. Existing grid infrastructure, however, often provides significantly less capacity and upgrades are extremely costly. Luckily, most cars only charge with maximum power for a brief period. Batteries leverage this and enable the use of HPC on existing infrastructure. Cars briefly charge with full power As any EV driver will tell the user, they can charge to some 60-80% in around half an hour, but getting to 1...

NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group, and DENSO CORPORATION (DENSO), the global manufacturer of mobility components offering advanced mobility technologies, systems, and products, announced that it will collaboratively develop the Security Operation Center for Vehicles (VSOC) to respond to the threat of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks against vehicles. Culminating from past efforts, this collaboration...

ZPN Energy is proud to announce that they are the main sponsor of local Coventry Under 14 (U14) football team - Chapelfield Colts. The team is managed by ZPN Energy’s Head of Finance, Anthony Colley. Chapelfield Colts’ first league game of the season was a tough test against a team, which has recently stepped down from a higher league. Chaps came out of the blocks sharpish and created a host of chances early on. ZPN Energy - main sponsor of Chapelfield Colts The breakthrough came...

Initially founded to create a European market for coal and steel, the single market remains at the core of the European Union.  Yet, when looking at Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS), Europe remains a patchwork of local regulations, which creates vastly different requirements and opportunities across the continent. We shed light on how this plays out in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. The need for HEMS Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing energy bills to rise to...

As long summer evenings stretch into the night, there hasn’t been a better time to do a personal audit on energy usage. With the heating system resting up and the lights merely on standby is a good time to create an energy strategy and plan for greater efficiency next winter.  what’s using the most energy?  A central heating system is the biggest consumer of energy in the home accounting for about 60% of the overall energy bill. How users operate the heati...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol received the prestigious GLOBSEC European Award for his and the Agency’s work to support Europe this year during the global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The European Award is presented each year by GLOBSEC, a global think-tank based in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, to honor unwavering dedication to strengthening Europe and promoting growth and progress. GLOBSEC said Dr. Birol had been chosen this year because fr...

As part of a global effort to reduce carbon footprint, automotive manufacturers are replacing gasoline with cleaner fuel-less alternatives. As a result, the electric vehicle (EV) transportation segment is experiencing rapid growth. As EVs operated purely on electric power continue to increase market share, the installed battery capacity per vehicle is also increasing. faster charging times Consumers are also demanding faster charging times for larger-capacity batteries. This demand is also sp...

Jenkins Electric, an electromechanical service and parts provider, specializing in electric motor repair and test products, as well as a variety of distribution parts, has acquired Wheeler, a sleeve and fluid film-bearing manufacturer based in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA. “This acquisition expands our capabilities and offerings in the industrial motor parts and service industry,” said Iain Jenkins, Jenkins President, adding “From the North Charleston location, Jenkin...

Russia’s continued curtailment of natural gas flows to Europe has pushed international prices to painful new highs, disrupted trade flows, and led to acute fuel shortages in some emerging and developing economies, with the market tightness expected to continue well into 2023, according to the IEA’s quarterly Gas Market Report. Natural gas markets worldwide have been tightening since 2021, and global gas consumption is expected to decline by 0.8% in 2022 as result of a record 10% con...

Volta Trucks, the globally renowned and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, and Siemens Smart Infrastructure, the pioneer in electrification, have signed a Letter of Intent, outlining cooperation to deliver comprehensive eMobility charging infrastructure and software to Volta Trucks customers, to simplify, de-risk, and accelerate their transition to commercial fleet electrification. commercial vehicle fleet electrification The partnership looks to br...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed the details of its first ‘Volta Trucks Hub’ in the UK, serving the battery-electric Volta Zero vehicles that will operate on the streets of London from early 2023. The Hub is the second service and maintenance facility announced by Volta Trucks, after Bonneuil-sur-Marne in Paris, with further centers in other European cities to be announced in due course. Volta Trucks Hub...

QIA (Qatar Investment Authority), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, has agreed to invest EUR 2,427.6 million in RWE AG (RWE) to support RWE’s accelerated ‘Growing Green’ strategy. RWE will issue a mandatory convertible bond to a subsidiary of QIA. The bond will be converted into new ordinary bearer shares expected to represent just under 10% of RWE’s existing share capital (and approximately 9.09% of the enlarged share capital post-conversion).  glob...

Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban passenger rail transit that combines the features of a tram and rapid transit. While its rolling stock is more similar to a tram than a traditional railway, an LRT operates at a higher capacity and speed than a tram, and often on an exclusive right-of-way.  light rail network In the United States of America (USA), light rail operates primarily along exclusive rights-of-way and uses either individual tramcars or multiple units coupled to for...

Switzerland aims to transition to a net-​zero energy system by 2050. To meet this goal, it will need to replace fossil fuels with renewables. The Swiss government has also taken the decision to phase out nuclear power. As a result, its plans for carbon neutrality will require not only the electrification of transport and heating by means of electric vehicles and heat pumps, but also measures to compensate for the loss of nuclear generating capacity. To meet increased energy demand, Switzerland...

Three power plant units of RWE Power that were previously on standby will return to the electricity market on schedule in October. The German government has issued the necessary ordinance within the framework of the German Act on the Maintenance of Replacement Power Plants (Ersatzkraftwerkebereithaltungsgesetz). The units Neurath C, Niederaussem E, and F are already scheduled to go into operation in the coming days. As with all other power plants, it is up to the operator to deploy the plants...

RECOM has extended its range of DC/DC converters with a 3W version of their isolated RSH series in a surface-mount format with wide input ranges. RSH3 DC/DC converter features The RECOM RSH3 DC/DC converter is an addition to the successful RSH2 series featuring fully regulated, low-noise, and isolated 3W outputs in a surface mount package. The series features nominal inputs of 12V (9–18V) and 24V (18–36V), which are useful for battery or bus-powered systems, while the outputs avai...

Orcan Energy has installed its solution for waste heat for the first time on a river cruise ship. Currently the largest Rhine cruise ship, A-ROSA SENA, owned by A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH, has installed one of Orcan Energy's ORC modules, designed specifically for the marine market.  E-Motion ship The E-Motion ship, with a hybrid propulsion system consisting of a diesel engine and an electric motor, can convert the waste heat from the ship's engines into electrical energy, reducing its fuel c...

EDF provides an update on its UK nuclear generation business to help develop an understanding of its role in short-term energy security, as well as help the UK deliver longer-term policy objectives. EDF owns and operates eight nuclear power stations across the UK, five that are generating and three in the defueling phase. It is building Hinkley Point C in Somerset and there are plans to develop a sister station at Sizewell C, with a final investment decision due in 2023. EDF’s role in sh...

Orcan Energy, the company turning waste heat into clean electricity, has raised EUR 28.5 million in a late-stage growth round. The funding comes from prominent Article 9 Funds TiLT Capital, a new asset management company dedicated to energy transition and part of the Siparex Group, one of France’s leading private equity companies, and a well-known European institutional investor, as well as existing investor Air Liquide Venture Capital (ALIAD). Based in Munich, Germany, Orcan Energy will...

E.ON’s wholly owned subsidiary - PreussenElektra GmbH has reached an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on the cornerstones of a potential continued operation of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant beyond 31 December 2022. Regarding a potential continued operation of Isar 2, the operators have recently been in close exchange with the Federal M...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and several partners have launched a new tool to track financing costs for energy projects around the world, with the aim of identifying and addressing risks that have impeded vital investment flows to emerging and developing economies. Cost of Capital Observatory The Cost of Capital Observatory was developed by the IEA, together with the World Economic Forum, ETH Zurich and Imperial College London. It will be hosted on the IEA’s website and regularl...

Despite encouraging signs of progress across a number of sectors, stronger efforts are needed to bring the world on track to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, according to the IEA’s latest appraisal of global progress on clean energy technologies. The annual Tracking Clean Energy Progress (TCEP) update assesses 55 components of the energy system – sectors, technologies, infrastructures and cross-cutting CO2 mitigation strategies – and evaluates their progress in 2021 to...

Large-scale and prolonged power outages, waste piling up as waste disposal ceases to function, disruptions to water or gas supplies, and successful cyber attacks on critical infrastructures, especially the power grid, can have serious consequences.  Holistically conceived cyber security is necessary to prevent such scenarios. As part of the Fraunhofer Center for Digital Energy, Fraunhofer FKIE is working with partners to increase IT security and make the sector resilient to attacks....

GaN is the chemical symbol for gallium nitride, which is an III-V semiconductor material commonly referred to as a 'wide bandgap' (WBG) material, because it has a relatively high energy requirement (compared to silicon or Si) to knock an atom’s electron from a valence band (e.g. – insulator) to a conduction band (e.g. – conductor). semiconducting devices When it comes to an electronically-controlled switch, users want a material that has a high breakdown electric field (e.g....

In late August, after Russia announced it would shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for repairs, gas prices at the Dutch TTF trading point, the European benchmark, reached €339 euros per megawatt hour. This was 140% higher than the week before and an 848% increase in prices in August 2021, where they sat at around €40/MWh. Such staggering price hikes have had a huge impact on consumers. Rising energy prices in the UK have contributed to the biggest drop in living standards...

The replacement of the internal combustion engine (ICE) by the electric motor is touted as key in reducing pollution from automobiles, but the trend isn’t confined to the road: converting diesel locomotives to electric or hybrid operation is also attracting much attention as a means to combat global warming. maintenance, and reliability For locomotives, switching to electric power has multiple benefits, including a reduction in NOx emissions, noise levels, and fuel consumption, improved...

Prioritizing energy efficiency and renewables while reducing fossil fuel use and diversifying supplies can address major energy security challenges, as per the new International Energy Agency (IEA) policy review. Hungary’s transition to clean energy can enable it to achieve greater energy security and independence as it navigates the supply challenges that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created for countries across Europe, according to a new in-depth policy review by the Internati...