Electrical power

What It Would Really Take to Run the World off of Renewable Energy

http://interestingengineering.com/really-take-run-world-off-renewable-energy/ With electric power establishing itself even further into our modern society, generating it is becoming an even more complex issue. As we seek to find a sustainable power source, we are naturally drawn to the thought of renewable energy. However, the question remains, what would it really take to run the world completely off of

Mains connector reuse for DC

Low voltage DC systems need suitable connectors. Different proprietary connectors are available, but usually with them problem is their price and availability. Traditional lighter plug as used in cars is awful in many ways. Some applications use XLR connectors successfully, with the downside that you can accidentally plug mic to such outlet.  One thing I have sometimes seen in Finnish electrical installations

Using a supercapacitor for power management and energy storage in IoT

http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4458294/Using-a-supercapacitor-for-power-management-and-energy-storage-with-a-small-solar-cell–Part-1 The environment has abundant energy but little power. Energy harvesting can tap the environment’s “infinite” source of energy, and avoids the cost of wiring to mains power or replacing of batteries. This article will look at using small solar cells.  Depending on the light level, whether indoors or out, small solar cells may deliver

Power Integrations highlights importance of power factor correction at APEC 2017 | EDN

http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4458242/Power-Integrations-highlights-importance-of-power-factor-correction–at-APEC-2017?utm_content=bufferce187&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Power factor correction is the process of improving a low power factor in a facility by increasing the ratio of real (working) power to apparent (total) power. Power-factor correction allows the input current to continuously flow, reduces the peak input current, and reduces the energy loss in the power supply, thus improving its operation

Nanogrids, Microgrids, and Big Data: The Future of the Power Grid – IEEE Spectrum

http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/nanogrids-microgrids-and-big-data-the-future-of-the-power-grid  The power grid’s interlocking technological, economic, and regulatory underpinnings were established about a century ago and have undergone only minimal disruption in the decades since. But now the industry is facing massive change.

Power quality monitoring technology: helping industrial equipment stay healthy | EDN

http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4458085/Power-quality-monitoring-technology–helping-industrial-equipment-stay-healthy?_mc=sm_edn&hootPostID=510cd8126072cf72f2a2673535aee8d9 According to a recent study published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), large industrial facilities in the US lose over $100 billion every year due to power problems including power supply variations and voltage disturbances.  When the lights flicker at home, it’s an annoyance. But when power is disturbed at a factory, it