March/April 2010

Editorial

Economic efficiency versus energy efficiency

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, Leland Teschler, Editor

A recent industry conference featured CEOs of several electronic OEMs discussing business conditions. Surprisingly, most of these gentlemen said their...

Features

Solar goes to the grid

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, Marc Johnson Senior Applications Engineer PV Powered, Inc.

With the push to expand the amount of energy produced from renewable sources and the maturing of the solar energy industry, utilities are now beginning...

Efficient motor, inefficient system

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, Richard Mintz SEW-Eurodrive Inc. Lyman, S.C.

Everyone wants to save energy. It's the and thing to do. And the government may soon pay you to replace inefficient motors with new, energy-efficient...

Harvest time near for energy ICs

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Vincent Biancomano Contributing Editor

No batteries required, is still a far-off dream for most everyday applications that run on electrical power. But some kinds of systems are closing in...

Tricks of the trade for driving bright LEDs

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM

First the good news: Prices for high-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs) have dropped by a third over the last few years. As a result, they're increasingly being...

Wireless route to energy efficiency

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, Joe Tillison Avnet Technical Director Wireless Sensor Networks

The wireless sensor network (WSN) is inescapable in our new energy economy. Both increasingly tighter regulations and energy-related stimulus spending...

News

Walmart to suppliers: Are you energy efficient?

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM, Frances Richards Contributing Editor

In late February, the world's largest retailer announced a goal that could have far-reaching ramifications for its suppliers: Walmart wants to eliminate...

Less power for lighter loads

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM

Back in the 1980s, a NASA engineer named Frank Nola came up with a way of controlling the power to an induction motor as a means of saving energy. Nola...

Simulation looms larger in wind turbine design

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM

Simulation programs are increasingly getting a work out in the design of wind turbines and wind farms. One reason: As the size and number of wind power...

Invention of the month

A better, smarter power adapter

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM

Consumer products ranging from calculators to cellphones, and PCs to printers, have long come with wall transformers or adapters designed just for them....

Energy figures of the month

Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM

HOW FEDERAL ENERGY ACTS BOOST JOB CREATION The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy recently made an estimate of the numbers of jobs created...