Power for change

The Stern Review, commissioned by The Treasury to assess the economic effects of climate change, came to a definitive solution: ‘The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response’. Richard Ellis, chair of the East of England Development Agency, claimed at last week’s Sustainable Development (UK) Conference: “Some £500billion is predicted to be spent globally on tackling climate change in the next few years and there are great opportunities in terms of developing new technologies. British companies can and should get onboard by being inventive and entrepreneurial.” So what are the opportunities for the UK’s electronics sector? Harry Tee, chairman of the Electronics Leadership Council, is enthusiastic: “The UK electronics industry is well positioned to capitalise upon this opportunity. But we need to ensure that we invest in research at the right level. The UK is good at research and at commercialising it. But we are not good at making a global business out of it – we sell out too soon. I would rather see the business remain UK owned.” Two areas which offer obvious potential are alternative power sources and increased power efficiency. Derek Boyd, chief executive of the National Microelectronics Institute, says there are opportunities in areas such as solar energy. “Particularly in new materials, where progress is being made all the time.” Other alternative energy sources also provide potential. “Small scale generation is one example,” he said. “A limiting factor is connecting the output from a small generator to the infinite load of the grid. That’s a difficult thing to do.” But it’s in the ‘bigger picture’ where Boyd sees more opportunity. “A recent estimate was that 50% of the increase in the UK’s energy consumption will come from home electronics; and that’s a significant concern. Minimising domestic electricity consumption is where things like motor efficiency come in – and that links to leading edge power semiconductors.” Boyd believes the UK has good companies and start ups addressing this area. “But if you look at higher power applications, the field is more open because there isn’t the same amount of international competition and many of the leading players have UK connections in the power space.” Meanwhile, the Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (EKTN) is also looking at climate change related opportunities and has set up an Eco Design Special Interest Group. Ashley Evans, EKTN chief executive, noted: “There’s no doubt that lower power consumption chips will change the products of the future. But there are also opportunities to develop control systems to manage consumption in higher power devices.” He also believes that ‘parallel’ initiatives, such as the EuP Directive, will raise awareness. “What we have to remember,” Boyd concluded, “is that it’s not just about chips, but chips are at the heart of it.”