Introduction
See how semiconductors drive the green revolution. Renewable energy systems like solar panels and wind turbines depend on these tiny components. They are essential to converting and delivering clean energy to homes and businesses. These semiconductors face challenges, especially when considering their environmental impact during production. This article discusses semiconductor production and sustainable energy solutions.
Renewable Energy Semiconductors
High-power semiconductors are essential for managing the network’s power generation and connection from renewable energy sources like solar cells and wind turbines. Choosing the appropriate device for the situation is crucial to maximising the energy source’s efficiency. Two primary functions of semiconductors in the chain of renewable energy sources are power conversion within the plant (e.g., wind turbines) and power transmission to the grid. For instance, power semiconductors on an offshore wind farm can convert generated energy up to four times before it reaches the distribution network. Additional advantages include:
- Improving energy efficiency
- Increasing power capacity
- Eliminating emissions during the generation process
- Having the freedom to generate energy where it is required
The Essential Components of the Green Shift
Despite the potential environmental risks associated with their manufacturing process, semiconductors are essential to the advancement of green technologies. With the least amount of power loss possible, they harvest, transform, transfer, and store renewable energy as electricity before transferring it to the electric grid. Additionally, semiconductors make it possible for IoT technology to use electricity in a responsive and efficient manner by ensuring that current is distributed evenly and supply is equal to demand. Semiconductor technology is essential to wind turbines and solar panel systems alike.
Benefits Of Semiconductors
Because semiconductor materials like silicon can hold millions of microscopic transistors—the on-off switches that form the foundation of binary computer programming—they also contributed to the information age. The Internet, home automation, and, more recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) are examples of innovations made possible by this new use of information.
Thanks to these developments, the modern smart electric grid can now connect devices, or nodes, across the system to ensure that current is distributed evenly and supply and demand are balanced. For instance, at night, when homes and businesses are not using electricity, smart grids with semiconductor material components can charge electric cars. End-user applications are also benefiting from IoT technology’s ability to lower demand. For instance, lights in smart, IoT-enabled homes turn on and off automatically, and furnaces only run when necessary.
Production In Need of Resources
Semiconductor manufacturing has a large environmental cost even though it is essential to the growth of the clean energy economy. The semiconductor industry is resource-intensive, requiring large amounts of water and energy to produce chips. Gas and coal are two fossil fuels that account for a sizable amount of the energy used. A 2020 study made an effort to measure the carbon footprint of computer systems using publicly accessible corporate sustainability reports. According to their findings, the majority of the carbon produced during the production of electronic devices is currently attributed to the chip manufacturing process. According to data from Bloomberg, because of their massive power consumption, chip manufacturers are now producing more pollution than automakers.
The Effect of Semiconductors On Renewable Energy
- Better Solar Panels Efficiency
- Wind Turbine Efficiency Gains
- Increasing Batteries’ Durability and Extended Life
- Intelligent Grid Technologies
- Intelligent Lighting Systems
- Power Control Approaches
- Technologies for Hybrid Energy Storage and Optimisation
- Solutions for Energy Harvesting
- Cutting Edge Technologies for Power Conversion and Transmission
- Automation and Controls for HVAC Systems including dust collection systems
- Contribute to Lower Energy Costs
- Increased Service Reliability
- Development of More Smart Energy Sources
Conclusion
Semiconductors, unsung heroes of clean energy, boost renewable energy efficiency and efficacy. Their effects range from improving solar panel performance to changing smart grid technology. The environmental cost of their production is a major obstacle and reminds us to balance green technology. Our goal is to reduce semiconductors’ environmental impact and maximise their potential for a sustainable future.
Image Source: freepik
