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PowerLines by Linnea Brush
November 22, 2010
Electronica Behind the Curve?
Power Channels: Automotive Electronics, Digital Power, Energy Efficiency, European Power News, Power Components, Renewable Energy, Smart Grid Power, Switch-Mode Power
Electronica is a great trade show. It is well-organized, well-attended and attracts both large and small power supply manufacturers and distributors. Although it has a European focus, Electronica does a good job of getting international companies, as well. Exhibitors are multi-lingual, and the company reps are quite favorable to editors and researchers. I always know I’ll get good information and good contacts at Electronica.
So I was a bit surprised when most of the companies I talked to were touting “new” products and technologies for (what I consider to be) “old” applications. I went to Electronica expecting to discuss the smart grid and dc building power – emerging areas that Darnell is focusing on – and instead, everyone was “introducing” products for LEDs and automotive applications. One exhibitor I spoke to wasn’t even familiar with the term “smart grid”!
First, I should say that there is nothing wrong with focusing on LEDs and vehicle electrification. Darnell identified these markets a couple of years ago as being good opportunities for power supply companies. But there was a certain “jumping on the bandwagon” approach this year, especially with LEDs. Everyone at Electronica had a LED product, it seemed. There are simply too many players in this area right now, and a shake-out is inevitable further down the line.
The automotive focus didn’t seem quite so frenzied but it, too, is getting overcrowded. These products have to be “qualified,” and there are some major design challenges related to high temperatures and vibration. The silicon-carbide (SiC) folks were pretty happy, since SiC has been targeted at automotive applications for years.
Companies are somewhat oblivious to the opportunities presented by the smart grid, however. Not all (Freescale has a whole team devoted to it), but more than one would expect. At least three companies told me they either weren’t interested in the smart grid or were just waiting to see “how it would fall out.” Some IC companies said that their product line was so broad that they already had products for the smart grid, even if they weren’t identified as such. The major foray into the smart grid is smart meters, which some companies see as the “first step” toward smart grid technologies.
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We would like to hear your comments on the topics discussed in this column. We welcome the opportunity to publish opposing opinions. Please email Jeff Shepard at jshepard@darnell.com.
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