Reported by Cliff Keys, Editor-in-Chief, PSDNA

With ‘green’ now attracting private and government investors together with heightened consumer sensitivity, we can expect a continuous flow of innovations from our industry. Green products work commercially only when there is a compelling business advantage and not by regulation alone. This is where creativity between engineering and marketing professionals works at its best in the real world. The power industry offers the strongest route to economic and ecological progress. As ever, outstanding engineering will deliver the solution.

LEDs received an unprecedented boost in many regions with the increasingly stringent government policies forcing TV manufacturers to shift their backlighting to ‘greener’ technologies that consume less electricity, especially at the larger TV sizes where power is a major concern.

LED backlit LCD Televisions will gain huge momentum this year and beyond because of the increasing commitments from various parts of the TV supply chain, consumer demand and a higher focus on green technologies, according to iSuppli Corp.

Shipments of LED-backlit LCD-TV 40-inches and larger in size will this year alone rise by a factor of nearly eight, reaching 18.8 million units, up from 2.5 million in 2009 and by 2013, 83.2% will use LED backlights, up from just 0.1% in 2008 and 6% in 2009.

Panel makers have been investing heavily in LED chipset makers or developing their own internal technologies to take advantage of what they believe LED-backlit LCD-TVs bring to the table: differentiation, innovation, low power consumption and the potential to reap the benefits of higher revenue.　

Greener Trucks

Recently Secretary Chu announced the selection of nine projects totaling more than $187 million to improve fuel efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles with more than $100 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and with a private cost share of 50%, will support nearly $375 million in total research, development and demonstration projects across the country.　 These projects will each create over 500 jobs for researchers, engineers, and managers.　 By 2015, the projects expect to create over 6,000 jobs – many in manufacturing and assembly.　

Currently, the transportation sector accounts for 28% of total U.S. energy use. These vehicle technologies could save more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2030.

Enel Green Power, Sharp and STMicroelectronics have signed an agreement for the manufacture of triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic panels in Italy. At the same time, Enel Green Power and Sharp signed a further agreement to jointly develop solar farms.

The agreement regarding the photovoltaic panel factory follows the Memorandum of Understanding between Enel Green Power and Sharp. STMicroelectronics has joined this strategic partnership. The PV factory, located in Catania, Italy in a facility to be contributed by STMicroelectronics, is expected to have an initial production capacity of 160MW per year beginning in 2011and targeted to be increased to 480MW per year over the next years. 　

www.powersystremsdersign.com/greenpage.htm