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PowerLines by Linnea Brush
June 6, 2011
Leading the Charge
Power Channels: Automotive Electronics, Energy Efficiency, Power Components, Smart Grid Power, Switch-Mode Power
The Smart Grid has become such a mishmash of industries, regulations, technologies, standards and products that sifting through them to find the “most significant for power” has become almost impossible. Almost. Darnell Group is on a mission to find those opportunities, and when they do show up, they often signal important points along the roadmap. In other words, they’re not only an opportunity; they’re also a strategic indicator.
Such events can be missed. Even if you’re looking, the story slips under your radar or isn’t viewed as that important by the casual observer. Sometimes an important point gets over-exposed, and you end up with the “boy who cried wolf” syndrome – not realizing that there really is a wolf at the door. The Smart Grid is a Big Story, and it requires a discerning eye.
One of the “leading indicators” for Smart Grid powering is wireless, inductive charging. It did not start out as an enabler for the Smart Grid; in fact, it has been proposed for consumer devices, medical equipment and electric vehicles, among others. Recently, its value for electric vehicle charging has been demonstrated, and it could end up providing both an impetus and an opportunity for companies offering Smart Grid power solutions.
One of the most important drivers for new technology adoption is the backing of major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – the bigger, the better. Contracts with influential users doesn’t hurt, either. So if a small start-up gets a partnership with a big OEM, not only does it benefit the fledgling company, it can also pave the way for the technology in general. The problem with the Smart Grid has been the somewhat “closed” markets spearheading the shift. Utilities and smart meters are a good example – utilities are like the military/aerospace industry in that they have their preferred suppliers, which are often a small group to begin with.
Wireless inductive charging does not fit into this category. It is still fairly new as a powering solution, but it is poised to contribute to the slowly evolving Smart Grid infrastructure. For example, Evatran, a developer of an electric vehicle inductive recharging system, recently signed a Joint Development Agreement with Yazaki North America to develop and market Evatran’s Plugless Power™ technology to automotive manufacturers as a factory or dealership option by 2012.
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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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