| The
message is loud and clear - save power. That power is
scarce is not news. In India , the current demand is
2.1 billion units and rising, whereas only 1.85 billion
units are currently available. At the same time, fossil
fuels, one of the largest sources of power, are fast
becoming extinct. Power saving thus becomes critical
to drive economic growth and to support a basic quality
of life.
Fortunately, businesses across the world have risen
to the challenge and have found innovative methods to
save energy. Solar power is the most abundant and relatively
constant source of energy. A 2006 study conducted by
Global Energy Networks Institute states that covering
4% of the world’s deserts with photovoltaic cells could
supply the entire world’s energy. Wind power has grown
considerably since the 1990s when it was first introduced
in the country. Today, India has the fifth largest installed
wind power capacity in the world.
Advances in the semiconductor industry have given further
hope to the proponents of alternative sources of energy.
This momentum is a result of the discovery of new applications
for semiconductors in sectors like wind and solar energy
that have enabled players to modify existing chips and
hence make lower investments. These chips improve the
performance of the entire system and lower costs. The
advent of digital signal processor based controllers
have enabled a high level of computational performance
and programming flexibility. This is an exciting time
for semiconductor companies. The government must design
appropriate policies to drive growth in alternative
sources of energy.
The Green Energy Seminar that we are organizing in three
cities in India will highlight the need to promote alternative
sources of energy that help in reducing carbon footprints.
It will highlight the role of semiconductor industry
in conserving power, reducing power consumption and
help in designing power systems for the future. The
Seminar will also bring to focus TI’s leadership role
in this field and some of the initiatives that TI has
been taking through its products and services.
Participants in these seminars will be senior executives
of companies in the energy sectors, decision makers
and design engineers. |
