Semiconductors for renewables

In today’s Hitachi Energy a greater degree of sophistication is required to ensure that stable, reliable power is delivered on demand despite the intermittent nature of the renewable energy sources, such as onshore and offshore wind, solar, wave and tidal power. To facilitate the new demands placed on the power grid, power semiconductor technologies are used.

High power semiconductors are key components to control the power generation and connection of the network from renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic cells. To achieve highest efficiency of the energy source it is essential to select the right device for the given conditions. The semiconductors are used for two main tasks in the chain of renewable energy sources, one is the conversion of power in the plant, such as in wind turbines, and second is the transmission of power to the grid. As example, on an offshore wind farm the produced energy is converted up to four times by means of power semiconductors before it enters the distribution network.

More benefits:
- Increasing energy efficiency
- Higher power capacity
- No emissions in the generation process
- Flexibility to produce energy where it is needed