Industry news

Although not yet announced, GTM has just learned that SunPower has acquired Stanford-spawned, early-stage power electronics firm Dfly Systems, according to sources close to the deal. Pricing was not disclosed. SunPower has confirmed the acquisition. Details are scant at this point, but the small firm “builds power electronics that lower system costs,” according to folks in the know who suggest

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Within the next decade, tens of millions of homeowners could find it economically advantageous to invest in solar combined with energy storage, further distancing themselves from their utility. But will they actually sever ties completely? Barring extraordinary circumstances, the economic case for grid defection is still very weak for U.S. consumers. The electricity system offers valuable backup in case a

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Back in 2010, Congress directed the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHSTA) to create rules requiring noise generating devices on EVs, PHEVs, and hybrids while operating on electric power. Studies conducted at the time had suggested that such cars were so quiet that they represent a danger to pedestrians, especially the blind. In fact, the National Federation For The Blind

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As part of its plan to provide climate aid in the developing world, Japan has expanded the support it provides to the Caribbean countries. Under the Project for Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership, the former will provide eight Caribbean countries $15 million for preparing and designing their Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). As per the agreements

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Governments across Indian states seem to be scrambling to launch programs to set up solar rooftop projects after the success of such projects in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state. The latest state to join the bandwagon is the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which has had years of supply-demand issues in the power sector. The Tamil Nadu Energy

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Several months ago, the team including Thomas Mueller, Marco Furchi and Andreas Pospischil, had already produced an ultra-thin layer of the photoactive crystal tungsten diselenide. Now, the semiconductor has successfully been combined with another layer made of molybdenum disulphide, creating a designer-material that may be used in future low-cost solar cells. With this advance, the researchers hope to establish a

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Texas Instruments introduced a new family of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that enables engineers to increase the accuracy and performance of programmable logic controller (PLC) I/O modules, field sensors and transmitters, and building automation systems, while decreasing overall system size and cost. The DAC8760 family is also the industry’s first to provide simultaneous voltage and current outputs, giving system designers the

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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced the industry’s first 150 V n-channel MOSFET in the compact, thermally enhanced PowerPAK® SC-70 package. Offering the industry’s lowest on-resistance at 10 V in the 2 mm by 2 mm footprint area, the Vishay Siliconix SiA446DJ is designed to increase efficiency by reducing conduction and switching losses in a wide range of space-constrained applications. The SiA446DJ

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Linear Technology Corporation announces the H- and MP-grade versions of the LT8705. This high efficiency (up to 98%) synchronous buck-boost dc-dc controller operates from input voltages above, below or equal to the regulated output voltage. The LT8705 operates over a 2.8V to 80V input voltage range and produces a fixed 1.3V to 80V output, using a single inductor with 4-switch

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NXP Semiconductor N.V. has released four new 20-V N- and P-channel MOSFETs in DFN1006. The PMZ600UNE, PMZ950UPE, PMZB600UNE, and PMZB950UPE feature TrenchMOS technology, ESD protection greater than 1-kV HBM, and a drain-source-on-state resistance down to 470 mOhm. They are optimized for space constrained applications such as switching-circuits, load switches and relay drivers in smart phones and tablets. All three types

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