The electrification megatrend

From cars to home heating to industrial processes, electrification is the megatrend taking the planet by storm.

Electrification calls for reimagining how we refuel our cars, heat and cool our homes and power our industries.

As the world transitions toward sustainability, technological advancements in electrification are enabling renewables to become viable, low-cost alternatives to traditional sources of power.

As the grid evolves, the distribution and management of electricity are changing. Localised pockets (microgrids) are forming with tightly coupled energy storage capacity, and this further exacerbates the challenge to deliver electricity reliably to all users in the presence of the tremendous growth of electric vehicles (EVs).

From a technology perspective, the distributed nature of assets like cars, homes and manufacturing sites is giving rise to the Intelligent Edge where analogue sensing meets digitalisation. Simply put, we need intelligence everywhere: at every vehicle component, every sensor, every actuator, every storage system and every metering point.

Data is the lifeblood of this new technology world. To create and capture value, technology developers like ADI must interact in new ways throughout the ecosystem. The focus is evolving to develop complete subsystems at the Intelligent Edge, and bringing in new expertise in areas like AI, data science, virtualization, battery chemistry, and more.

Furthermore, in designing with the total cost of ownership in mind, the Intelligent Edge is being stretched into new areas for value creation and growth.

The role of policy

A major tailwind to electrification is the changing regulatory environment.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS, the Next Generation EU (NGEU) – legislative innovation is aiming to accelerate the clean energy industry and encouraging private sector investment that advances global decarbonisation. Industrial support, together with federal spending, is critical to truly realise these ambitious goals.

Implications on both sides of the charging cable

The EV revolution is a key driver of the growth in the electrification market.. The rise of EVs has a major impact on the requirements for how the electric grid is managed.

The maximum load from this anticipated volume of electric cars is about 10TWh. While small compared to the expected growth in global electricity production, this load is uniquely dynamic as EVs move in time and space within the energy grid’s infrastructure. The grid must possess the capacity to handle the EV load AND the ability to be managed in real-time.

On the other side of the charging cable, sophisticated secondary substation intelligence is needed to ensure reliable energy delivery and grid management.

ADI expects precision measurement, control, and real-time signal processing equipment to become the new standard as the electricity grid decentralises and as new energy sources and loads are added. One grid management solution experiencing increased adoption is the smart metering device.

Innovations that deliver superior edge insights and predictive control capabilities to a new generation of smart meters would improve energy utilisation, quality, health and life of the increasingly decentralised grid.

Analog Devices takes a holistic approach to the clean energy ecosystem by leveraging its leadership in battery, power and energy management to accelerate the transformation and convergence of three major sectors – automotive electrification, industrial and the energy grid.

ADI’s electrification portfolio, ADI Recharge™, includes battery management systems (BMS), inverters, energy storage systems (ESS), meters, and more. These are among the semiconductor solutions with the potential to unlock massive GHG reductions. This motivates us to work with our customers to accelerate the adoption of existing technology and to cocreate with them on breakthroughs that could change end market ecosystems.

Charging ahead

The global decarbonisation trend is not only good for the planet, but it’s also good for business.

Sustainable solutions from ADI are an opportunity and a revenue driver for both us and our customers. Reliable, low power technology on both sides of the plug – powered by semiconductors – is the path to develop the Intelligent Edge.

There is no time to waste.. At ADI, we look forward to engaging with the full electrification ecosystem to help realise its decarbonisation potential.

Find out more on analog.com >  ADI Signals+ | Analog Devices

About Analog Devices

Analog Devices, Inc. is a global semiconductor leader that bridges the physical and digital worlds to enable breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge. ADI combines analogue, digital and software technologies into solutions that help drive advancements in digitised factories, mobility and digital healthcare, combat climate change and reliably connect humans and the world.