1. Southern Hospitality at APEC 2015
   
2. PSMA 2015 Annual Meeting
   
3. Committee Chairs Report at PSMA 2015 Annual Meeting
   
4. PSMA Special Call for Papers
   
5. Meet Your Directors
   
6. About Our Members
   
7. Welcome to PSMA
   
8. PSMA Safety & Compliance Committee
   
9. The 2015 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap Report Is Now Available
   
10. PSMA Publishes Technology Report: Current Development in 3D Packaging With Focus on Embedded Substrate Technologies
    
11. Tesla's New Home Battery: Reshaping the Energy Business
    
12. Solar Energy Stock Index Q1 2015
    
13. Solar Energy DealReader Q1 2015
    
14. EMS Stock Index Q1 2015
    
15. EMS DealReader Q1 2015
    
16. Events of Interest – Mark Your Calendar

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

Previous issues of update: Q3_2014 | Q4_2014 | Q1_2015

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PSMA UPDATE is published and distributed via e-mail quarterly by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association. Send editorial information and comments to:

Permission to reprint information and articles as published is granted: a courtesy line is appreciated.

Membership in PSMA is open to any organization or corporation involved in the power sources and supplies industry. For membership information, visit our website or contact us by fax, telephone or email.

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

 

he Queen City lived up to its reputation as the vibrant center of the New South in hosting a near record-breaking attendance at this year’s APEC. The Charlotte Convention Center venue was well designed to handle the extensive range of APEC activities - paper sessions, seminars and tradeshow – all within easy access of one another.

Of the 976 paper submitted, 526 were accepted and presented at the technical sessions. The exhibition hall was full with 239 companies that exhibiting and a waiting list of another 75 companies. In addition to the Education Seminars and Vendor Seminars, there were a total of 15 Industry Sessions with 93 invited presentations. Even though it was a very busy and packed program the venue provided many opportunities to renew friendships, meet new people and network with others in the industry.

Charlotte is the home of NASCAR and this year’s social event was held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame right across the street from the Convention Center. This was an evening of food and drinks with an opportunity for attendees to race against others at speed approaching 200 miles per hour!

APEC 2016 will return to Long Beach, March 20 - 24, 2016 and promises to once again result in record-breaking attendance. As power electronics continues to provide the enabling technology for energy efficient products and systems, APEC conference and exposition fills a critical role in delivering education and information and in networking with our industry peers.

If you are considering presenting a technical paper or participating in one of very popular Industry Sessions, please go to www.psma.com and to www.apec-conf.org for more information.

Provided by Greg Evans, APEC 2016 Publicity Chair

ver 60 PSMA members and guests attended the PSMA Annual Meeting, held at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC during APEC 2015.

The buffet breakfast before the meeting start provided attendees an opportunity for networking and meeting colleagues. Chairman Ernie Parker officially opened the meeting by welcoming all the attendees and asked each to briefly introduce themselves. Among those present were many of the 43 recipients of the APEC Student Travel Support. This support is provided jointly by IAS, PELS and PSMA and attracted 108 applicants from over 60 different schools in 21 countries.

The first item on the agenda was the election of four people to the Board of Directors. The following candidates were elected to the Board of Directors for the three-year term (2015-2018):

Chairman Ernie Parker identified some members who have made significant and outstanding contributions to the Association this past year. The following individuals were specifically recognized and were presented with an award:

• Brian Narveson – for his leadership and contributions for the 3D Power Packaging Special Project
  
• Arnold Alderman – for his leadership and contributions to organization of the 2014 PwrSoC Workshop
  
• Matt Wilkowski – for his technical contributions and organization of the technical program of the 2014 PwrSoC Workshop
  
• Eric Persson – for his leadership of the 2015 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap
  
• Aung Thet Tu – for his leadership of the 2015 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap
  

Ernie Parker presenting award to Brian Narveson

Arnold Alderman receives award from Ernie Parker

Ernie discussed his vision for the Association going forward and encouraged all members to join one or two of the active Technical Committees and participate in their activities as the best way to increase the benefits of membership.

Alireza Khaligh and Aung Tu

The past year has been a very active year for the Association with the completion and publication of two major reports - The 2015 Power Technology Roadmap and Phase 2 of the packaging technology report - Current Developments in 3D Packaging with Focus on Embedded Substrate Technologies. In addition the Technical Committees have organized seven Industry Sssions during APEC 2015 and sponsored Workshops on PwrSoC and on Energy Efficient Buildings. Finally, PSMA is also actively working with other industry organizations including iNEMI and CPSS.

Following the Chairman’s Report was a financial Report presented by Michel Grenon, Secretary/ Treasurer who reviewed the current financial status of the Association and presented a six quarter forecast. The financial status and outlook for the Association continues to be good with sufficient funds to support a number of Special Projects that can be of benefit of the membership

Aung Thet Tu, General Chair for APEC 2015, provided an update on the overall conference and identified a number of new features and events added. APEC2015 will approach the record levels set at APEC 2013 in the number of paper submissions, number of paper acceptances, registrations and attendees and will set a new record for exhibit booths. All indications are that APEC2015 is headed to be both a technical and financial success.

Alireza Khaligh, Program Chair for APEC 2015 and General Chair for APEC 2016, reported that planning for APEC 2016 was well underway. The conference will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA from March 20 through March 24, 2015. The Call for Papers and more information will be available in coming weeks.

Alpha J. Zhang

The invited speaker at this year’s Annual Meeting was Alpha J. Zhang from the China Power Supply Society (CPSS) who is with the Delta Shanghai Design Center. He presented a brief introduction on the Delta Group. He reviewed their global operations, business categories and the business challenges facing power supply manufacturers in meeting the market needs in several application product areas.

The minutes from the PSMA Annual Meeting have been posted in the Members Only area of the PSMA web site together with the charts from the presentations.

The Annual Meeting, PSMA Committee meetings, as well as the technical sessions, seminars, Industry Presentations, exhibits and other events kept PSMA members busy all the week. The APEC social event, held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, gave everyone a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

Dottie and Carl Blake

Joe Horzepa

There was a full exhibit hall at APEC 2015. Many of the PSMA member companies exhibiting participated in a “Passport” game in which attendees who visited their booths had their passport booklets stamped. Attendees turned in their completed passports for a chance to win an iPod mini. Traffic to members’ booths was brisk and the lucky winner was very happy with his prize.

The lucky winner of an iPad mini claims his prize

PSMA Members’ exhibits at APEC2015:

ach of the PSMA Technical Committees provided updates on the recent activities of their committees at the Annual Meeting. Each of the Technical Committees also held individual committee meetings during the week of APEC 2015.

John McManus, Alternative Energy Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee has been meeting monthly and has organized a four speaker Industry Session that will be presented during APEC 2015 with the theme of “Solar, Today and Tomorrow”.

The committee also co-sponsored an industry workshop “Engineering Energy Efficient Buildings” held during 2014.

Phil Krein reported that the committee is co-sponsoring a workshop on “Microgrid Systems and Power Electronics for Low Energy Buildings” that will be held later this month. He presented an overview of the workshop and invited all interested individuals to participate.

Joe Horzepa reported that the Capacitor Committee has been meeting monthly via teleconference and has organized a seven presentation industry session with the theme of “Applications Dictate Capacitor Technology”.

Ed Herbert, Energy Efficiency Committee Co-Chair, reported the committee has organized an Industry Session for APEC 2015 titled “Mission Critical Power Systems”. The committee continues to support the effort to update the Energy Efficiency Data Base available on the PSMA web site and plans to organize an Industry session for APEC 2016.

Arnold Alderman presented the annual report on the Energy Efficiency Data Base (EEDB). In the past year, the data base included the activities from 6 regions, covering 37 countries and 41 Agencies. The data base includes 224 regulations from 27 application categories and 90 sub-applications.

Phil Krein reviewed the objectives of the committee which are to promote interaction between power electronics students and industry and to promote power electronics to university and pre-university students. The committee has spearheaded a joint program with PELS and IAS for Travel Support for students to attend APEC. For APEC 2015 a total of $40,000 will be awarded to 43 students from 18 countries as far away as India and New Zealand. An on-going initiative of the PSMA Industry-Education Committee is posting resumes that students submit on the Members Only area of the PSMA website.

Steve Carlsen, Magnetics Committee Co-Chair, remembered the passing this January of Ed Bloom, who was a major contributor and supporter of PSMA, the Magnetics Committee and APEC.

Steve reported that the committee has held monthly meeting this past year and plans to organize an Industry Session for APEC 2016. They are also planning a workshop on high frequency magnetics this next year and Matt Wilkowski has expressed a willingness to be the Technical Chair for the workshop, perhaps with PELS as co-sponsor.

Frank Cirolia, Marketing Committee Co-Chair, provided an overview of the committee and highlighted some of the activities on its current agenda. He also reviewed the activities to increase the membership base and the value of membership.

Kevin Parmenter, Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee has been meeting monthly via teleconference and has organized a 4 presentation industry session: Nanotechnology – State and Federal Activities. Kevin added that the industry now has a growing awareness of the application of nanotechnology in materials, packaging, components, semiconductor design and all aspects of power electronics. Since PSMA already has Technical Committees for each of these areas, the Nanotechnology Committee has decided to limit its attention to encouraging the other PSMA Technical Committees to include at least one presentation in each of their Industry Sessions on the application of nanotechnology. Meanwhile, the committee will focus on Nanotech 300 and other nanotechnology course development and promotion.

Brian Narveson, Power Electronics Packaging Committee Co-Chair, reviewed the activities and results of the committee this past year. It has been an outstanding year with the organizing of a 7-presentaion Industry Sessions for APEC 2015 entitled “Substrate Embedded Components Enabling High Density 3D Power Packaging”. Brian also introduced the PSMA publication of the report of phase 2 of the Special Project on 3D Power Packaging titled “Current Developments in 3D Packaging with Focus on Embedded Substrate Technology”.

Carl Blake, Semiconductor Committee Co-Chair, reported the committee has been very active this past year and has organized a 7 presentation Industry session entitled “Latest Advance in Power Semiconductors – a Less Biased Discussion”. Carl also reported that the committee has agreed to be a co-sponsor of WIPDA (Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications) that will be held at CPES in Blacksburg VA from November 2 – 4. He invited all interested individuals to plan on attending.

Aung Thet Tu, Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-Chair, reported that the 2015 Power Technology Roadmap was now available as a PSMA publication and a summary will be presented by Dhaval Dalal at the Plenary Session. Aung acknowledged and thanked the individuals who participated and contributed to the 2015 Roadmap effort. There were 13 Webinars held this past year with industry experts discussing Power Architectures, Technology and Market Forces, and Components. Every webinar presentation is included in the publication plus the electronic copy also includes the recording with the Q&A. The 2015 Roadmap addresses the major products to be considered, the applications and the associated technology trends for the next three to five years.

Ralph Taylor, Transportation Power Electronics Committee Co-Chair, reported the committee has been very active this past year and organized a 7-Presentation Industry Session that focuses on new and evolving technologies critical for power electronics in electric drive vehicles. A proposed topic area for the committee in the coming year is Power Electronics for Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The committee is also searching for a new Co-Chair.

Arnold Alderman, Organizing Committee Chair for the 4th International Power Supply on Chip Workshop, reported that the workshop was held in Boston MA October 6 – 8 2014 was jointly sponsored with IEEE PELS.and Northeastern University College of Engineering. Matt Wilkowski was chair of the Technical Program Committee which organized seven technical sessions plus a poster session. The workshop was both a technical and financial success and a future workshop is planned for 2016 in Madrid Spain.

More information about the PSMA committees was made available during the week at the individual committee meetings. PSMA members and guests were encouraged to attend these meetings to learn more about the committees and to help plan activities for the coming year.

All of the PSMA Technical Committee meetings are held via teleconferencing and are open to individuals interested in learning about and participating in the work of the committees. This is an excellent way to network with others and to influence the technical direction of the committees.

PSMA SPECIAL CALL FOR PAPERS

APEC 2016

31st Annual
IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition

March 20th - 24th, 2016    Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center   Long Beach, CA. USA

APEC 2016 continues the long-standing tradition of addressing issues of immediate and long-term interest to the practicing power electronic engineer. Outstanding technical content is provided at one of the lowest registration costs of any IEEE conference. APEC 2016 will provide a) the best power electronics exposition, b) professional development courses taught by world-class experts, c) presentations of peer-reviewed technical papers covering a wide range of topics, and d) venue to network and enjoy the company of fellow power electronics professionals in a beautiful setting. Activities and attractions for guests, spouses, and families are abundant in the Long Beach area.

Papers of value to the practicing engineer are solicited in the following topic areas:

(Please see the APEC 2016 website for a more detailed description by subtopic.)

The PSMA Technical Committee Chairs may be contacted to provide guidance to prospective authors in the preparation of their abstracts and papers. In addition most of the PSMA Technical Committees will each be organizing an Industry Special Session at APEC 2016 and anyone interested in participating and contributing in these sessions should attend one of the Technical Committee monthly meetings for more information. The schedule for all of the Technical Committee meetings is available at www.psma.com/news/meeting-schedule.

The Association Office will provide contact information on request.

our members of the Board of Directors are elected at the PSMA Annual Meeting held every year during the APEC conference. Each Director serves a three year term and is eligible to be reelected for one additional term.

At the PSMA Annual Meeting in March 2015, Ed Herbert and Don Woodard were reelected to a second term and new board members Mike Hayes and Kevin Parmenter were elected. In this issue we would like to introduce you to Mike Hayes and Kevin Parmenter.

 
Mike Hayes (B.E. (Elec.) (1987) M.Eng.Sc. (1994) University College Cork, Ireland.
Senior Program manager, ICT for Energy Efficiency, Tyndall National Institute, Ireland

Mike has over 25 years experience working in Power Electronics industry & research & is an active member of the PSMA packaging committee. He currently works at Tyndall, one of Europe's leading research centers and a world leader in PSiP & PowerSoC domains, as an industry orientated program manager covering collaborative projects on power electronics & energy efficiency. At Tyndall he has secured over $5M in funding (from industry, government & the EU) leading to the creation of over 30 jobs & helping industry partners secure $2.5M in VC/research funding.

Mike’s research activities are in the areas of energy harvesting, WSN (wireless sensor network) for micro-grid efficiency and 3D power electronics packaging. He has an established track record promoting synergy opportunities between power electronics, energy harvesting and ICT domains and has written a number of publications, participated in EU studies, presenting & chairing conferences and workshops related to this. Technically he co-ordinates Tyndall energy harvesting and conditional monitoring research activities that has delivered the world’s 1st indoor energy harvesting power management solution operating indefinitely in indoor lighting conditions and for 72 hours in darkness.

Mike gained 20 years power electronics industry experience at Artesyn Technologies in various process development, power supply design & senior management roles developing custom power supplies for blue chip telecoms companies. A key part of his Engineering Manager role entailed building technical relations with key clients, gaining a technical holistic understanding of the overall system needs and helping clients realize optimized power solutions. He maintained close links with power electronics industry & research communities, managing a number of collaborations with Power Electronics Ireland and Tyndall in areas such as topology selection, materials and components, magnetics design, substrate techniques and thermal analysis. Mike also represented Artesyn on the Irish Power Electronics Industry Group (PEIG) industry steering committee. During this time he published his M.Eng.Sc. thesis on ‘Planar Magnetics for Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Applications’.

Mike is already an active member of the PSMA packaging committee providing guidance on the PSMA 3D Packaging phase 2 study and the power technology roadmaps. In 2013, Mike managed the PSMA 3D Packaging phase 1 project organizing the schedule, reviews with the PSMA committee, slide presentations & release of the technical report at APEC2014. He has also been involved in reviewing presentations for the APEC2015 industry session. In Oct 2014 Mike chaired the Packaging and Manufacturing session of international workshop PwrSoC2014 in Boston and is actively involved in preparing future ECPE (European Centre for Power Electronics) & PwrSoC events in 2015 and 2016.

He has a passion & belief that commercialization of existing and emerging technologies can be accelerated through system integration getting stakeholders from various disciplines to collaborate. PSMA has a major role to play here & Mike plans to help identify, promote & drive industry/academic synergies at an international level particularly between packaging & manufacturing & between ICT, energy harvesting & power management.

Mike has recently joined the PSMA Energy Efficiency committee and has plans to determine interest by PSMA members in resurrecting the PSMA energy harvesting committee taking a system application oriented approach.

Provided by Mike Hayes, Senior Program manager, ICT for Energy Efficiency, Tyndall National Institute

 
Kevin Parmenter has been involved with the electronics industry and power electronics for over 30 years, working for such companies as Motorola Semiconductor, Fairchild Semiconductor, Exar, ON Semiconductor, Freescale (which has recently been acquired by NXP) and most recently, as the VP of applications engineering in North America for Excelsys Technologies who are PSMA members and of course are involved in the power supply and power electronics industry. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and in Business Administration.

Kevin has been active with PSMA and APEC for many years serving in executive capacities for both teams. He is a contributing author to several electronics magazines on a regular basis and has also contributed to the PSMA Power Technology Roadmap over the years. He also periodically teaches power electronics courses when invited to do so. Kevin was the General Chair for APEC 2009 (which made money thanks to the team despite very challenging economic and geographic - weather etc conditions). He was involved in moving APEC during the Katrina hurricane from New Orleans to Dallas - and again was honored to be working with a team of individuals who worked together and overcame very challenging conditions.

From his experience, leadership and learning occur at the highest levels during times of adversity - and while not a desired state if you can lead in difficult times then the normal conditions are not bad at all! He has worked with Chuck Mullet as Co-Chair of the recently transformed Nanotechnology Committee (nanotechnology is pervasive in everything now) and is working diligently to launch the Safety & Compliance committee. He pledges to do his absolute best to take PSMA to the next level working with an outstanding team of like minded people all with the same common goals to work with in a collaborative fashion to achieve common goals - providing service to our existing constituents, and attracting new members. “It’s been my experience that service to others is its own reward and like many things in life PSMA returns more than you put into it many fold - I have met many great friends and associates serving with PSMA and APEC and hope for many more years to do the same.”

Provided by Kevin Parmenter, VP of Applications Engineering in North America, Excelsys Technologies

N Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON) is driving innovation in energy efficient electronics, empowering design engineers to reduce global energy use. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficient power and signal management, logic, discrete, and custom solutions to help customers solve their unique design challenges in automotive, communications, computing, consumer, industrial, LED lighting, medical, military/aerospace and power supply applications. ON Semiconductor operates a responsive, reliable, world-class supply chain and quality program, and a network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and design centers in key markets throughout North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific regions.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, ON Semiconductors has over 20,000 employees worldwide. In 1999 ON Semiconductor was spun-off from Motorola. Through aggressive growth and acquisitions ON Semiconductor has grown to one of the top 20 largest semiconductor companies with revenue of $3.5 billion (based on 4Q14 revenue run rate). Each week ON Semiconductor produces approximately 1 billion units. Since its spin-off from Motorola, ON Semiconductor has made 20 acquisitions. The company has four segments, the Application Products Group (APG), Image Sensor Group (ISG), Standard Products Group (SPG), and System Solutions Group (SSG).

Provided by Doug Osterhout, Bay Area SEC Manager, ON Semiconductor

Editors Note: We would like to feature your company in a future issue of the Update. Please contact the Association Office for information about how to submit an article for consideration.

Coilcraft
Leonard Crane
1102 Silver Lake Road
Cary, IL 60013
Telephone: 847-639-2361
E-mail: lcrane@coilcraft.com
Website: www.coilcraft.com

Coilcraft was founded in 1945 as a custom coil maker for the television set manufacturers clustered around the Chicago area. Today they produce inductors for a long list of customers in telecommunications, computers, instrumentation and consumer electronics. Most are standard, off-the-shelf products, but many are still custom designed to meet customers' specific requirements.

Coilcraft's worldwide headquarters are in Cary, Illinois, 30 miles northwest of Chicago's O'Hare Airport. In addition to corporate offices, this facility houses their engineering department plus manufacturing. European headquarters are located in Cumbernauld, Scotland, near Glasgow. There are another nine plants in the U.S. and Mexico as well as production centers in Scotland, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Malaysia.

Hong Kong Applied Science & Technology Research Institute
Ziyang Gao
5th Floor, Photonics Centre, Hong Kong Science Park
Shatin, N.T.
Hong Kong, China
Telephone: 34062571
E-mail: zygao@astri.org
Website: www.astri.org

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competences in various areas are organized under seven Technology Divisions: IC Design (Analog), IC Design (Digital), Opto-electronics, Electronics Components, Software and Systems, Security and Data Sciences, and Communications Technologies. Four areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation networks, and medical and health are identified for major pursuit.

After more than a decade of dedication to customer-focused R&D, ASTRI has built a rich portfolio of intellectual properties and nurtured many research talents for the industry. As a Hong Kong R&D centre, one of ASTRI’s important goals is to help customers capture business opportunities from the thriving technology market and increase their competitive strengths. Customers and partners can improve their efficacy by drawing on ASTRI’s expertise and research achievements.

VAC Sales USA LLC
Rodney Rodgers
2935 Dolphin Drive, Suite 102
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Telephone: 270-765-3162
E-mail: rodney.rodgers@vacuumschmelze.com
Website: www.vacuumschmelze.com

VAC Sales USA LLC is the US subsidiary of Vacuumschmelze GmbH whose primary focus is applications and sales of their products.

In 1914, the first vacuum melting furnace laid the foundation for today's Vacuumschmelze. Then in 1923, melting alloys in a vacuum went into production on an industrial scale. This initial operation was located in Hanau, Germany and later grew into a company that operates on a worldwide basis with over 4,400 employees in more than 50 countries.

Today, Vacuumschmelze’s range of products comprises a broad array of advanced semi-finished materials and parts, inductive components for the electronics, magnets and magnet assemblies for use in a wide variety of fields and industries spanning watch-making and medical technology, renewable energies, shipbuilding, automotive and aviation. The use of Vacuumschmelze products is so extensive that we all use them every day - without knowing it.

SMA is pleased to announce the formation of a new technical committee, the Safety & Compliance Committee. If you or your company is involved with the design and marketing of power products it is critical that they comply with the safety and emission standards where they are sold. You are invited to participate in the Safety & Compliance Committee and benefit from the discussions and alerts on existing and changing standards.

Mission

The PSMA Safety & Compliance Committee mission is to provide a resource for our members and the power electronics community in the dynamic area of safety, regulatory and compliance issues and requirements concerning power electronics. These include:

• Monitor trends, developments and standards covering military, industrial, computing, telecom/datacom and medical aspects of power conversion electronic products
  
• A focus on US and global EMI-RFI, safety, surge- transients, hold-up time standards
  
• Discussion of existing and evolving standards and trends that apply to power converters and to provide a resource to members and the industry
  

Database

The committee will support a comprehensive on line data base which will be a repository of standards and requirements that affect the power supplies and which will be periodically updated to include the status, trends and issues and upcoming changes by region and country. It is expected that the database would be updated and administrated using a similar process as for the PSMA Energy Efficiency database currently on the PSMA website.

Membership activities

Members of the Committee are encouraged to participate in monthly calls – in general each of the PSMA technical committees meet once a month via teleconference.
As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work” and participants are invited who are knowledgeable and can actively contribute or are interested in networking with others in the industry to share experiences or concerns.
In addition to the database activities, other committee activities may include organizing an Industry Session for APEC on Safety and Compliance issues and contributing to the PSMA Power Technology Roadmap.

Membership

We would like to invite all parties interested in regulatory and safety aspects of power electronics to attend and participate. Help us to understand and to communicate the challenge and impact facing our industry in conforming to these evolving global standards. We encourage you to join our meetings or invite others in your organization involved in these areas.

So, let us know if you or others in your organization are interested in becoming an active member of the PSMA Safety & Compliance Committee. We expect you will find that you will get as much out or more than you put into it.
If interested, please send contact information to power@psma.com.

Provided by Kevin Parmenter, Safety & Compliance Committee Chair

The 2015 edition includes a 542 page report plus USB drive with recorded webinars

he Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) announces that The 2015 Power Technology Roadmap is now available for purchase by both PSMA members and non-members. This is the ninth edition in the roadmap series, which is published every two years.

The 2015 report forecasts the power technology and power delivery trends through 2019 and includes a USB memory drive version containing the complete report and the graphics and the presentation in color as well as the recorded webinars which provided up-to-date industry information used in the final report. The webinar recordings add much to the report because the listener can understand the context and the subtext of the materials in the presenter’s own voice.

New to this year, a retroactive study is included to examine how the past roadmap trends from 2003 to 2013 compared to the current trends in this report. Why? The PSMA Power Technology Roadmap report looks for future trends but we also need to understand the trends predicted in the past and how they turned out. It is an important and interesting look back at the past to help understand the micro-transitions that may have turned into major inflection points in power electronics history. Key results of this study as well as the summary presentation given at the APEC2015 Plenary Session is also included in the report.

The 2015 report continues with essay contributions by the industry experts on Applications Trends and Emerging Technologies. The Application Trends section covers diverse segments such as Automotive, Battery Charging, Computing, Consumer, Renewables, Industrial, LED Lighting, Medical, Mil/Aerospace, and Motor Control. The Emerging Technologies section includes 3D Packaging, PwrSoC, Servers,, Additive Manufacturing, High-Frequency Magnetics, High-Power Wireless Charging, Smart Grid, Energy Storage and Smart Buildings. There is much valuable information in these essays.

“The end result of the webinars, surveys, presentations and discussions is a comprehensive report by the PSMA that offers a consolidated view of the latest trends in the power management, power control and power delivery technologies,” said Aung Thet Tu, Co-Chair of the organizing committee.

Eric Persson, Co-Chair of the organizing committee, said of the 2015 report: “The breadth and depth of the information in this report is unprecedented and together captures the technical trends and issues facing the power sources industry. We hope industry professionals will find our 2015 report useful, thought provoking and valuable.”

A copy of the printed and USB memory drive versions of 2015 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap has been sent to PSMA Regular and Associate member companies as a benefit of their membership. Additional copies may be purchased at the member price of $170. PSMA Affiliate members may also purchase the report for $170. The report is available to non-members for purchase on the PSMA website (www.psma.com) for the price of $2,790.

Provided by PSMA Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-Chairs - Eric Persson, Infineon and Aung Thet Tu, Fairchild Semiconductor

Comprehensive report is the first to address “More than Moore” digital power demands by accelerating the development of higher density power sources using new, disruptive packaging technologies

t APEC 2015, the PSMA Packaging Committee released a report titled “Current Developments in 3D Packaging with Focus on Embedded Substrate Technologies.” This is the first comprehensive study on using embedded substrate technology for building power sources and the report contains extensive research and product illustrations geared to an audience of technology executives and design engineers. The purpose of this Special Project is to provide an in-depth industry perspective on how currently available materials and processes can be best used for the creation of advanced high-efficiency, high-power-density power products.

The PSMA undertook this Special Project and created the 3D packaging report to address the pressing demands in the power industry to accelerate the development of higher density power sources. The first challenge arose from digital semiconductor packaging technology hitting a “cost barrier” brought about when advanced deep-submicron semiconductor technology could no longer reduce cost with the addition of more functions to the semiconductor die. This barrier was circumvented through the development of wafer thinning that enabled through-silicon-via (TSV) technology and the eventual introduction of 2.5D and 3D integration, which facilitated heterogeneous (“More than Moore”) integration. This integration allowed the power requirements of the digital load to increase two to five times, within the same footprint, in a single generation. Now the power industry is tasked with finding ways news ways to package power sources that will meet this demand, but without increasing footprint.

In parallel, power semiconductor technology is facing a “construction barrier” that prevents the realization of the significant benefits new technology can offer in terms of increased power efficiency and higher power density. These new technologies, including gallium-nitride (GaN), silicon-carbide (SiC), and gallium-arsenic (GaAs) power semiconductor devices, all require operation in a package that is free of bond wires and that minimizes parasitic interconnect elements. Both of these challenges can be addressed with power packaging utilizing embedded substrate technologies and are addressed in the report.

This 340-page report, prepared under contract by LTEC Corporation with work subcontracted to Anagenesis and Fraunhofer-Institute, is based on the Packaging Committee’s extensive research of over 750 articles and papers, analysis of 450 presentations/papers, and by conducting 30 industry expert interviews. Information was also derived from attendance at 10 industry conferences, workshops and seminars. The report contains 172 links and 394 citations.

The report provides detailed analysis of substrates (organic and inorganic), components (actives and passives), thermal management, high temperature die, packaging technologies, interposers, as well as additive manufacturing and laser fabrication. Each passive component (resistors, capacitors, inductors) has an entire chapter detailing which suppliers are currently shipping products usable in power sources. Every chapter covers manufacturing issues and includes references to contract manufacturing companies already producing power products utilizing embedded substrate technology. Embedded substrate packaging leverages the large investment made by the digital industry in advanced packaging technologies and is being used to resolve the power source construction challenge. As the report demonstrates, 3D power packaging using embedded substrate technology is a disruptive technology, in that it enables large increases in power density and efficiency.

Co-chairs of the PSMA Packaging Committee, Ernie Parker of Crane Aerospace & Electronics and Brian Narveson of Narveson Consulting, described the report as “the first comprehensive document to discuss the challenges companies will face to implement embedded substrate 3D power packaging to create the significantly higher power densities driven by the “More than Moore” digital power demands.”

The PSMA report on 3D packaging was provided free of charge to PSMA Regular and Associate Company members. Additional copies may be purchased at the member price of $190. PSMA Affiliate members may also purchase the report for $190. The report is available to non-members for purchase on the PSMA website (www.psma.com) for the price of $2,990.

Submitted by the PSMA Packaging Committee.

Brian Narveson Co-chairman

Ernie Parker Co-chairman

Provided by the PSMA Packaging Committee
Brian Narveson and Ernie Parker Co-chairman

Reshaping the Energy Business

n April 30, 2015, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors introduced their new rechargeable lithium-ion battery systems for homes, businesses and utilities. Before looking into its technical merit and commercial viability, most in media went into a frenzy, on how this battery system will change the world. It will "kill the local power company", some said; it will "kill nuclear power", others said. In the context of this world altering event, some rational analysis of this new system is required to provide some perspective.

Tesla Energy (a part of Tesla Motors) introduced the Powerwall battery system for home applications which will be available in two configurations: a 10 kWh version, optimized for backup applications at a price of $3,500 and a 7 kWh version for daily use at a price of $3,000. The units measure about 3 feet by 4 feet by 6 inches and include an integrated heat management system and can fit either on the inside or outside of the wall of a home. The Powerwall units can be stacked to provide up to 90kWh of power. Tesla also introduced a higher power version, the Powerpack unit, for businesses that require 100kWh or higher power and offer infinite scalability for larger commercial facilities.

According to Tesla, there are three ways this battery system can be used to benefit its users:

First, by using it as a storage system for the excess energy developed by solar panels which would use this stored energy at night when solar energy is not available and is designed to be used in conjunction with rooftop solar. One of its main benefits offered is this application will reduce the need for utility power, especially if it is generated by polluting, non-renewable fossil fuel technology. This use will reduce the need for additional power plants, thus helping in the reduction of greenhouse gases. In short, the system is designed to keep the planet green. Elon Musk is also chairman of SolarCity, the largest provider of solar power is the US. Tesla battery and SolarCity's products will be complementary. A smart business move by Mr. Musk.

Second, by load shifting which involves charging the battery during off-peak hours when electricity rates are low, and then using this stored energy during day time, when the electricity rates are higher. Consumers would have significant savings, due to the rate differential. According to CNNMoney, in California, the peak day time rate is 35¢ per kWh and 8¢ during off peak hours. Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother and a Tesla board member, in an interview with CNNMoney's Cristina Alesci, mentioned that the new battery could slash consumers’ electricity bills by 25% by using it smartly. But some analysts see a "flaw" in this argument because of the way the rates are structured in the United States. Utilities already "buy" the excess electricity generated by solar panels during daytime at a higher price and then sell it back to the consumer at night at lower rates. The incentive that works for Tesla's business model has been already established by the utilities. Brian Warshay, an analyst for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, told HuffPost, "... It only makes sense for storage if it’s more expensive to buy electricity at night and sell it back during the day...”. However, such reversal of the established electricity rates, for the benefit of an industry, is not possible in the US. In addition, the renewable energy's business model is based on support from the respective governments' policies at the time, which can be whimsical and change their directions based on the political winds.

Third, the system would be used as backup during the electricity outage. This is a valid argument for installing Tesla batteries, but most industrial critical systems such as computers and other equipment can have relatively inexpensive UPSs as backups.

Now that this long awaited battery system is announced, will it be widely accepted? Though the battery system does work with utility power however, to be truly effective, it needs to be used in the context of solar energy. According to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), there will be significant growth in solar installation in the next two years, mostly coming from residential and utility installations. But still, the overall solar power generation in the US accounted for less than 0.5% of the total electricity as of February 2015. So on one hand, Tesla Energy has some way to go before being a force in the market place, but on the other, significant opportunities exist due to the infancy of the marketplace. SEIA also states that, "...however, without congressional action, the upcoming expiration and reduction of the Investment Tax Credit is expected to lead a 57% decline of installed solar capacity in 2017..."

Tesla Battery System looks attractive because it will lower electricity bills, provide some back-up in the event of power failure and most important, reduce the dependence on the "hated", planet polluting utility. Though some wild-eyed people think that this system will "eliminate" the need for the utility power, a serious analysis suggests this to be not the case. In the US, electricity is fairly stable and inexpensive in most areas.

As usual, the overall price of the system will determine the success of this system after the initial enthusiasm has waned. Various types of cost-benefit analyses on these batteries are available, but a serious comparison is difficult due to assumptions and advocacy as well as their validity and purpose. In general, the benchmark in the US is an electricity rate of 12¢ per kWh on average. The system becomes economical for the individuals who pay higher rates and uneconomical who pay less. As Tesla gears up its gigantic battery factory in Nevada, known as Gigafactory, the prices for the battery are expected to decline.

The reason Tesla's new home battery will change the way we use electricity is "Elon Musk", the celebrity entrepreneur of Silicon Valley. Elon Musk is one of the most famous living entrepreneurs in the world today, as he has successfully launched companies as diverse as PayPal, Tesla Motors, SpaceX and now Tesla Energy. Elon Musk may not be the first person to make storage batteries and their connection to the solar power generation, but he is the most famous. Currently there are few other companies, including Samsung and Swiss-based Alevo, who have storage batteries for home use, but none have the starpower of Elon Musk. Most of the time it is not important who first developed the technology or the product, but who has the starpower of personality, charisma and sheer willpower to convince masses to adopt this new technology to make the world better. The late Steve Jobs was such person. He (or Apple) did not invent the Internet or the mobile phone, but made the iPhones ubiquitous and in the process, changed the way we communicate and access information. Like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk has brilliance, charisma and a strong personality. He has made it his mission to change the way we use electricity available reliably by the sun. He plans to reshape our thinking about electricity generation and its use with a combination of solar energy and a battery.

Time will tell.

Provided by Mohan Mankikar, President, Micro-Tech Consultants

incoln International’s Renewable Energy Group is pleased to present the latest Q1 2015 Solar Energy Stock Index Report, which tracks relevant solar company metrics in this growing industry.

The Solar Energy Stock Index Report, published by our Renewable Energy team each quarter, provides you with information on the following:

• Quarterly performance of the Solar Energy Stock Index versus the S&P Index
• Relative market valuations of each Solar Energy Category
• Current financial data for each company in the index

solar_stock_index_q1_2015.pdf (585k pdf)

This data is included with the permission of Lincoln International. For more information, you may contact John McManus (jmcman@optonline.net) or the Association Office.

incoln International is pleased to present the latest DealReader from our global Renewable Energy Industry group. This will provide you with:

• Q1 2015 deal volume comparison by total transactions, deal type, geography, and target company sector
• Recent Solar Energy transaction announcements
• Global Solar Energy ratio analysis

solar_dealreader_q1_2015.pdf (489k pdf)

This data is included with the permission of Lincoln International. For more information, you may contact John McManus (jmcman@optonline.net) or the Association Office.

incoln International is pleased to present the Q1 2015 EMS Stock Index from our global Electronics industry group. This report will provide you with:

• Quarterly performance of the EMS Stock Index versus the S&P Index
• Relative market valuations of each EMS Tier
• Current financial data for each company in the index

2015-q1_ems_stock_index.pdf (380k pdf)

This data is included with the permission of Lincoln International. For more information, you may contact John McManus (jmcman@optonline.net) or the Association Office.

incoln International is pleased to present the latest EMS DealReader from our Global Electronics Industry Group. This will provide you with:

• Q1 2015 deal volume comparison by total transactions, deal type, geography and size
• Recent EMS transaction announcements
• Terms & Turns: Revisiting the Cash Cycle

dealreader_ems_q1_2015.pdf (418k pdf)

This data is included with the permission of Lincoln International. For more information, you may contact John McManus (jmcman@optonline.net) or the Association Office.

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