A greener future has become one of our most essential goals for the planet. As the global population increases, the need for a new approach to energy is pushing toward more sustainability. To slow down the effects of climate change, we must reduce our emissions to zero, a task that requires us to revolutionize our energy system.
This is a serious and significant endeavor. Future energy impacts will have a significant influence on how history develops, so it is imperative that we take the first step toward renewable energy as inventors and as a community of engineers.
Power semiconductors figure into all types of energy-conversion applications and are needed in all phases of the conversion process, from generation through transmission and, ultimately, consumption. Power devices that are robust, efficient, and cost-effective at high power densities are critical to ensuring that global economies can effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions even as energy consumption rises.
High-power semiconductors are vital components for controlling renewable energy sources like wind turbines and photovoltaic cells. The most efficient semiconductors make an essential contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions, even as global energy requirements rise.
Energy efficiency is critical
Energy consumption is expected to increase, and growth is expected in the transport, commercial, residential, and industrial sectors. This will result in a substantial increase in demand, which is a consequence of the rising global standard of living. By reducing the true cost of energy, people can live better. The driving factor is the cost of energy, which is badly skewed by outdated cleanup expenses.
Efficiency of conversion, especially regarding power usage, is a significant factor. Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors will contribute significantly to energy efficiency. Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have had increasing success in the semiconductor device market in recent years. GaN is now used in mobile device chargers and charging systems, while SiC has primarily been used in the field of electric mobility. In 2017, electric-vehicle manufacturers like Tesla chose to use SiC-based motor controllers, which boosted the efficiency of its systems.
Skills aren’t the only requirement
Talking to various CEOs, particularly those of onsemi’s Hassane El-Khoury and EPC’s Alex Lidow, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, try to do something that you are passionate about — inside and outside of work. You spend a lot of time at work, and the company you work for, what it does, and what is aspires to do should matter to you. The highest-paid positions shouldn’t be your focus. If you are not passionate about your job, give it up and look for something else.
Basically, do what you are most passionate about with the knowledge that it will not always guarantee you a fairly paid job. Listen to your thoughts and passions, cultivate them, and fight for them to be realized. Be aware of putting yourself on the line and experiencing disappointments that will serve as a further push in the professional (and personal) world. Believe in your passions and cultivate them, and the results will come.
When you choose a career, you need to be passionate about it and devote time to it. Because the more passion you have for a subject, the more you learn about it, and the more you learn, the more your career will grow because of it. This is basically what I am doing, and I hope to continue doing it. The goal is to constantly reinvent yourself. Never stop learning; keep up with the times (as well as the evolution of semiconductors).
What is driving the future of power electronics?
But let’s get down to power electronics. Why is it crucial? What is driving it?
As I have learned from interviews with various CEOs, engineering has seen the spread of many talents in recent years toward computer science and the possibility of autonomous solutions, high-level programming, and so on, thus leaving electrical or electronic engineering uncovered. As the leading experts say, there is a shortage of electrical engineers who really understand how to design a circuit or build something. And the design of a circuit is crucial to achieve the efficiency that the new energy transformation requires.
For someone new to the market or someone pursuing a career, getting into those areas where there is a shortage is a good idea. Getting into those areas where there is scarcity and where there is a momentous change in the industry is a combination of two good ideas. “Wide bandgap is a good career for future professionals,” said EPC’s Lidow.
In order to achieve zero net emissions by 2050, the economy must completely decarbonize, which favors a transition for the most polluting industries that find it more difficult to give up fossil fuels. Another potential energy carrier is clean hydrogen. The need for renewable energy is rising as a result of global efforts to minimize greenhouse emissions, nuclear energy risks, and particulate matter.
Therefore, creating renewable hydrogen that is mostly powered by wind and solar energy is the top goal. Although it is currently not the most affordable fuel, it can be stored more easily than solar or wind energy and, in the long run, might be made completely from renewable resources. All of this will require a significant rise in the generation of wind and solar energy. Entire societal spheres will need to be re-evaluated to reach CO2 neutrality by the middle of the century. Fossil-fuel combustion results in significant CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which intensifies the greenhouse effect and causes global warming.
The embrace of open-source platforms will accelerate the paradigm change in technology. Even though we have made enormous efforts, we are still trying to find out how to make the most of the untapped energy that is “immersed” in the earth. The only reliable energy source is the sun. The 4-billion-year–old star that powers our planet’s heat and light and sets the cycles of all life on Earth is also an endless supply of energy that can be captured and converted into useful electricity using solar panels made of silicon. Then there is geothermal energy, which is produced by Earth itself; wind energy, which is transformed into electricity by turbines; and biomass energy, which is generated by the decomposition of organic material.
The internal-combustion engine (ICE) is giving way to an all-electric future as the car industry goes through a fundamental transformation. The change we are seeing will eventually result in an automobile environment that is entirely powered by WBG materials. WBG semiconductors like SiC and GaN will progressively become essential components to boost industrial settings’ power supply efficiency, completing the growth of the renewable-energy sector.
The theoretical performance of silicon MOSFETs has been surpassed, forcing the power-electronics sector to switch to a new material. SiC and GaN’s ability to meet novel applications has been demonstrated. In the near term, GaN is anticipated to replace silicon in a variety of applications, with battery charging being the first high-volume sector to show such acceptance. High-voltage power converters with strict size, weight, and efficiency constraints are using SiC devices more and more often. Low-environmental–impact battery technology is becoming necessary due to the increasing importance of electric transportation. The battery is the primary component of an EV: More cells provide a better charging capacity, which results in the ability to go further between recharges.
Although evolution is continual, many battery chemistries have been used throughout contemporary EV history. Research is making headway in several areas, including reducing the quantity of cobalt used. To optimize battery performance, each cell has to be watched carefully. Being able to eliminate thick and weighty wires enhances system dependability, as an average EV has 100 or more cells. Wireless usage reduces the possibility of wiring defects caused by vibration, humidity, and other issues. The batteries are now simpler to reach for upkeep.
A critical juncture has arrived for renewable energy. The changes occurring in the whole global energy system are being driven by technologies like solar and wind. For initiatives to address greenhouse gas emissions, decrease air pollution, and increase access to energy, their expanding diffusion is essential. Control algorithms for energy optimization will be offered by the smart grid and artificial intelligence. The development of new, toxic-free battery materials will be aided by quantum computing.
