Photovoltaics (PV) — tapping light energy as a power source — is a clean, renewable source of energy that could provide a significant portion of the world's future energy needs. Although PV accounts for less than 0.25% of the world's four terawatts of electric generation capacity today, it is the fastest growing energy source. In 2007 2.7 gigawatts of new capacity were installed. That's expected to grow to 12 gigawatts by 2012 (Source: Barclay Capital estimates).
Photovoltaic systems consist of collector modules, an inverter, wiring, safety disconnects, and an optional battery and battery charge control system. The inverter controls the DC voltage on the array and inverts the DC power to AC so it can power local loads or be fed to the utility grid. PV systems may also include battery control for systems requiring a backup battery. The key requirements for inverters are high efficiency, long life and low cost.
Freescale Solutions
We provide a variety of controllers for power conversion applications, including:
PV systems may also be accompanied by a smart electric meter that can record power both to and from the grid in real time, enabling time-of-day pricing and PV power purchase by the utility. Communications protocols like ZigBee are often used to connect the smart meter to the utility and to energy management systems in the home.
Freescale is the first company to provide cost-efficient IC technology enabling the capture of energy from a single-cell photovoltaic at ultra-low voltage. Through ultra-low voltage DC to DC conversion technology operating at 320 millivolts, energy harvesting and a myriad of new applications could be possible. See a video demonstration of this technology and read the press release about this breakthrough.
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