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During PCIM Europe, IGBT gate driver manufacturer CT-Concept Technologie GmbH announced the availability of its 1SC0450V single driver core for IGBT modules with blocking voltages of 4.5 kV and 6.5 kV. This highly compact new product enables IGBTs to be paralleled using only one driver core, which further reduces system size and increases reliability. Also during PCIM, Concept announced that

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Microsemi Corporation yesterday at PCIM Europe introduced its new silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET product family with new 1200V solutions. The innovative new SiC MOSFETs are designed for high-power industrial applications where efficiency is critical. These applications include solutions for solar inverters, electric vehicles, welding and medical devices. The new SiC MOSFETs provide patented technology from Microsemi and are designed to

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Akros Silicon Inc. announced during this week’s PCIM Europe show, the AS1705 digital isolator. Optimized to enable real-time telemetry and control of Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) controllers used in Power-over-Ethernet capable (PoE) switches and routers, the AS1705’s 3.4 MHz communication speed and integration level are unmatched in the industry. The AS1705 comprises a dual-channel bidirectional I2C digital isolator as well

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sPower (Sustainable Power Group) a leading sustainable energy provider, announced the acquisition of Bosch Solar Energy North America entities with projects actively operating in the U.S. The acquisition complements sPower’s existing distributed generation portfolio. The transaction follows sPower’s acquisition of Tioga Energy’s operating assets last year and its recent merger with Fir Tree Partners and Silverado Power. As a result

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In a surprising move, Austin Energy has closed its negotiations with SunEdison and signed a power purchase agreement for 150 megawatts with Recurrent Energy instead. The new PPA, signed last week, has a term of twenty years, compared to the 25-year term proposed by SunEdison. Recurrent has confirmed that it was “awarded a 150-megawatt contract by Austin Energy” for the

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Tesla CTO JB Straubel was the keynote speaker at the annual energy storage symposium put on by Joint Venture Silicon Valley this week. He was previously the CTO of Volacom, is a Stanford grad and sits on SolarCity’s board. Long before joining Tesla, Straubel built a record-setting electric Porsche 944. “I really love batteries. I might love batteries more than

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Modern buildings contain a lot of devices — fans, pumps, lights, motors — that can slow down or speed up, dim or brighten, or otherwise alter their electricity consumption on the fly. Utilities and grid operators are eager for fast-responding energy assets that can shave power usage within minutes or alter second-by-second consumption to help keep the grid humming at

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The FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric racing series, today announced that round seven of its inaugural season will be held on the iconic streets of Long Beach, California, USA. The Long Beach ePrix, as it will be titled, will take place on April 4 2015 and will form one of 10 races – and one of two

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Washington, D.C.—The Senate recessed for the Memorial Day break without a vote on the EXPIRE act to extend dozens of crucial tax policies, including the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for clean energy. A letter was delivered to Senators earlier in the week from a broad spectrum of the business community urging speedy passage of the

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Every time I visit a conventional car dealership to test-drive an electric car, I’m  struck by the salesman’s lack of savvy about plug-in cars. The first time I drove a Chevy Volt three years ago, the salesman barely knew how to turn the car on, and had no clue about electric cars in general. The Nissan salesman showing me a

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