Power electronics applications in utilities

The power sector is changing rapidly due to ever increasing levels of electricity consumption, increased use of alternative, often remote, energy sources, and a greater focus on energy efficiency and grid reliability. Developments in power semiconductors and the use of this technology in various power-electronics- based applications are facilitating many of these changes. Power semiconductors are the key building blocks of power-electronics-based switching devices that control the flow of electricity and convert it to the wave form and frequency required for different applications. Semiconductors lie at the heart of many power technologies and are a key enabler shaping the grid of the future.