IEA 4E TCP-PECTA: Power Electronic Conversion Technology (Working period 2021 - 2024)

The Power Electronic Conversion Technology Annex (PECTA) is one of four Annexes (EDNA, EMSA, SSL and PECTA) within the IEA 4E TCP (Technology Collaboration Program of Energy Efficient End-Use Equipment) and was launched in march 2019.

Overall Goal of PECTA

The overall goal of PECTA includes collecting and analyzing information on new wide band gap (WBG) based power electronic devices, coordinating internationally acceptable approaches that promote WBG-based power electronics and developing greater understanding and action amongst governments and policy makers.

Specific Goals

• Collecting and analyzing information on new WBG-based power electronics as energy efficient technology.
• Share expertise and pool resources on this energy efficient technology
• Coordinating internationally acceptable government approaches that promote WBG-based power electronics.
• Developing greater understanding and promote government actions that encourage the use of WBG-based power electronics.
• Accompanying and supporting international standardization public organizations (e.g. IEC).

The annex is split into two different terms (2019 – 2024 & 2024 – 2029). The first term is divided into the Introduction Phase and the Established Phase.

During the Introduction Phase two main tasks have been investigated in detail:

• Task 1: Validation of efficiency potential of different WBG applications
• Task 2: Identification of development of a short and long-term roadmap for power devices in order to determine a global view.

Based on the key findings derived from the "Introduction Phase," the recently completed "Established Phase" identified and defined the following specific tasks:

• Task A: Completion and Updating available efficiency figures
• Task B: Energy and environmental related life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Task C: Revision of elaborated Application Readiness Map
• Task D: Policy measures and mapping with applications on a timeline
• Task E: Standards to support the WBG-Market entrance
• Task F: Measurement of Power Supply Efficiency

Main results of the Austrian participation are the generation of knowledge in order to assess applicability of possible long-term concepts considering integration of WBG. Raising awareness among e.g. grid operators, industry and political decision-makers is relevant in order to ultimately accelerate the project so that these products and their advantages can be made accessible to end customers (also controlled by energy policy). The annex was coordinated as an operating agent and an Academic Advisory Group was led. Furthermore, the PECTA serves as independent knowledge platform, which allows Austrian policymakers and industry to support the market entrance of WBG technology.

Results

A detailed listing and discussion of all results can be found at iea-4e.org/pecta/publications/ (Task A - F).

The main findings from the tasks with Austrian participation (Task A, B, F) are summarized briefly:

It was demonstrated that wide bandgap (WBG)-based chargers in the power range < 65 W are both more efficient and more compact compared to silicon-based competing products. Even considering the higher energy required for the production of WBG components, a positive effect of using WBG in these products can be demonstrated over the entire lifespan of the product itself. The improved energy efficiency and the large number of quantities of these low power chargers worldwide result in an impressive potential for energy savings if the adoption of these more efficient solutions is supported in the future.

• A „life cycle thinking" approach to assess differences in the energy use of SiC vs. Si power semiconductors
• Design Aspects and Environmental Impacts of Wide Band Gap Based Semiconductor Technology in Chargers for Electronic Devices
• Looking beyond energy efficiency – Environmental aspects and impacts of WBG devices and applications over their life cycle
• Measurements of WBG-based power supplies
• Wide Band Gap Technology: Energy and environmental related Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Energy saving potential of WBG commercial power converters in different applications
• Energy Efficiency Measurements of Wide Bandgap Based Power Supplies

Austria (Operating Agent), Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland

Operating Agent and national expert

Univ.-Prof. Markus Makoschitz

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
1210 Wien, Giefinggasse 4
E-Mail: markus.makoschitz@ait.ac.at

Montanuniversität Leoben
8700 Leoben, Franz Josef-Straße 18
E-Mail: markus.makoschitz@unileoben.ac.at

ExCo Representative

Dr. Adriana Díaz
ECODESIGN company GmbH
Schwindgasse 4/2, 1040 Wien
E-Mail: diaz@ecodesign-company.com