Thriving power markets energize dc/dc converters

Thriving power markets energize dc/dc converters

Ever wonder why there are a plethora of providers of dc/dc converters? One reason may be because there is abundant need for specialty as well as broad-use converter products. It certainly doesn’t hurt that some industries are poised to blossom, such as electric vehicles and alternative-energy technologies including solar and wind power, and will increase the useage.

Gartner (http://www.gartner.com) expects photovoltaic (PV) revenue to grow at a compound annual rate of 17% from 2008 to 2013, when it is expected to reach $34 billion. The research company predicted that the overall PV market grew 24% in 2009, reaching 6.4 GW, while Navigant Consulting had higher estimates of 7.9 GW (see http://www.eebeat.com/?p=1498). Gartner forecasts that the PV market will reach 23.4 GW by 2013. Those are healthy growth numbers, and following on the PV and other alternative-energy coattails, it would logically follow that there will be significant growth in the number of inverters and dc/dc converters used in the power electronics marketplace.

Another burgeoning technology that will add to the growth of dc/dc converters will be electric vehicles (EVs) and the increased use of electronics in all vehicles. A report from IMS ( http://www.imsresearch.com/press_release_details.html&press_id=1259) says that governments around the world are investing money to support the development efforts of the vehicle manufacturers. The Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and BMW Mini EV are just some of the high-profile models expected to enter production in 2010. “These vehicles have significant power IC, power discrete, and power module content. Much of this is for the inverter required to drive the vehicle’s main motor/generators. However, many other electric vehicle drivetrain applications require semiconductors including battery monitoring and control, dc/dc converters, ac/dc chargers, and air conditioning converters,” according to report author Jon Cropley. The market could be worth $7 billion by 2020, and as world economies struggle to recover from the recent economic downturn, this developing market could provide suppliers with a rare opportunity for substantial growth.