The Impact of Semiconductor Parts on Renewable Energy Technologies

Renewable energy image source Freepik

For many years, semiconductors  have been playing crucial  roles in every aspects of of our lives. And they still continue to do so to the infinite future. Mention any electric device that you are using and it will feature the semiconductor chips.

The recent semiconductor chip global shortage was just a  proof that this industry runs the world, starting from the communication devices automotive, medical industry, defense among others.

One industry that is heavily relying on the semiconductor chips is the renewable energy technology. Semiconductors are increasing the pace at which the world is adopting the green energy.

Currently, the world is shifting its attention from the fossil energy sources to the more sustainable renewable energy. Popularly known as green or smart energy, they are known for promoting environmental sustainability by preventing pollution.

Various renewable energy sources have already been identified and even implemented.

Semiconductors for the building blocks for these renewable energy sources. Thanks to different electronic components , the semiconductors  determine how the renewable energy sources run.

Semiconductor chips are also used in the management of the renewable energy technologies. They are suitable for both large-scale and small-scale running of the renewable energy systems.

In this article, we are going to have a deep discussion about the roles of semiconductor components in the renewable energy technologies.

The role of semiconductors in clean energy revolution

We cannot deny the fact that we we are right in the age of clean energy revolution. There is a mssive shift from the fossil and other destructive energy sources to the cleaner renewable energy sources.

Semiconductors are the catalysts or movers  of this revolution. This is mainly due to the fact that some  types of semiconductor chips specialize in power production and management.

To be precise, power conductors are the main types of semiconductors that are stimulating the growth of the renewable energy.

These chips execute different tasks in the green energy ecosystem including power generation, energy conversion, energy storage, energy transfer, security of the energy system and even safety  of the renewable energy infrastructure.

The semiconductors ensure that everything about the renewable energy infrastructure is smooth and perfect as expected by all stakeholders.

Components enhance the efficiency of power semiconductors

Power semiconductors are used in the running of the renewable energy systems. For these chips to be effective, they have to be highly energy-efficient.
The efficiency of the semiconductor is displayed at the stages of energy generation, conversion and even transmission.

The semiconductor parts ensure that there is maximum power optimization in converting energy from one source to another in the renewable systems.

For example, in the solar energy systems, the converters should maximize the conversion from solar energy to the electrical energy. In the wind power, they should optimize the conversion from mechanical  to the electrical form.

In all the renewable energy sources, there is always the conversion of power from DC to the AC form so that it can be transmitted to the grid. Again, semiconductor pats are responsible for this energy conversion.

Semiconductor components support flexibility of the renewable energy sources

One of the key features of the semiconductor components is miniaturization. This is all about having smaller and lighter electronic components being embedded onto the semiconductors.

Miniaturization of the semiconductor components has a direct impact on the renewable energy arena. It has also led to the manufacturing of the smaller and lighter renewable energy devices.

Various devices such as power inverters, converters, battery storage systems and many others have been becoming smaller over the years.

Other than size, we are already seeing the development of lighter electronic devices for renewable energy.

One of the advantages of miniaturization is it enhances flexibility of the renewable appliances and devices. The fact that the devices are small means that users can easily move with them wherever they want.

We can also view flexibility in terms of the ease of working on the electronic devices. It has become easier to work on the renewable electric appliances, whether installing, modifying, repairing or doing any other essential physical activity.

Miniaturization has also increased the adoption of the renewable devices such that they can be easily embedded into different applications without worrying about the size and weight factors. For example, some cars have solar panels on their roofs. This means that they can still generate the required energy even when moving.

Semiconductor parts are used for implementing microgrids

Image source Freepik

We have seen the benefits of semiconductor in energy  generation of renewable energy. Microgrids  is one of the benefits of the semiconductor pats in the distribution of the the renewable energy.

Microgrids are minor grids designed to support small communities within the the main grid. These communities could include schools, hospitals, industrial complex, among others.

Most microgrids are powered by renewable energy sources. For example, a hospital may use solar energy on its microgrid to serve as a power backup in case of the electrical fault or failure on the main grid.

Different types of semiconductors are used for executing different operations on the microgrid. Some are used for the power transmission while others for power distribution.

The most common application of semiconductor components on the microgrids is the Smart Grid concept. Here powerful chips are used for coordinating the activities on the microgrid. For example, it has a communication line that will switch between the main grid  and the renewable energy when necessary.

Semiconductor parts having impact on the electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are also considered to be part of the renewable energy ecosystem. This is  manly because of automotive industry has been known for causing massive environmental  pollution due to the combustion of fuel. With the growing popularity of EVs, the industry is shifting to renewable energy.

So, what  roles do semiconductors play in the electric vehicles?

One of the critical functions is in the battery management system (BMS) of the EVs. A BMS is basically a semiconductor chip that is designed to manage the operations of the battery. It takes care of factors such as charging and how power is drawn from the battery. This semiconductor has components such as transistors and diodes that have power management and monitoring functionality.

Through BMS, you can tell the how long your car will drive when fully charged.The semiconductor parts also eliminate issues such as range anxiety of the EVs.

IoT enhances the use o renewable energy

Semiconductor chips are the driving force of the IoT, which is basically connectivity of the electric devices.

Buildings that have installed  renewable energy sources are using IoT devices to monitor the energy usageeven when in remote locations.

A perfect example is a smarthomes that is running on solar energy. You can easily monitor the charging rate or turn off devices that are draining significant energy from the system. This in turn improves efficiency and reliability of renewable energy system.

The main challenge is with the semiconductor production

Despite the roles that semiconductors play in promoting the adoption of the green and smart energy, there are some internal challenges that seem to affect the production and supply chain if the semiconductor chips.

One of the key challenges is with regards t the resources that are used in the production of the semiconductor chips.

The chip production itself is quite resource-hungry, meaning that it consumes massive energy, water and natural resources.

Pundits tend to view this as a drawback to the many positive impact that the semiconductor industry has had on the renewable energy industry, especially when we consider that most of the energy sources used in the production of semiconductor chips come from fossil sources.

To prove this, a research paper on semiconductor energy usage  revealed that chip production ranks at the top when it comes on the generation of the carbon footprint.

In fact,a study by Bloomberg revealed that semiconductor industry has overtaken automotive industry in terms of the causes of environmental pollution.

The good news is semiconductor chip manufacturers are taking some steps to mitigate the impact of chip production on the environment. Most chip makers have already set their sustainability goals and are striving to achieve them. For example, the world’s largest semiconductor maker Taiwan Semiconductor  Manufacturing Company(TSMC) has declared its commitment to shift its operation to clean energy by 2030. Many other players in the industry have made similar goals  and this will be a major boost towards renewable energy and sustainability.

Conclusion

From this guide, you can easily appreciate the roles of semiconductor parts in the renewable energy.

If you are building a renewable energy system or working on a project related to the smart energy, you know the components that you will include on your semiconductor chips and what they will do.

Using the right components will ensure that your chips perform the designated roles in the renewable energy systems perfectly.

And where can you get the right parts for the chips? This will be possible only from reputable and reliable semiconductor parts suppliers. They have the full capacity, experience and dedication to  delivering the best components for the semiconductor chips.

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