Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult has teamed up with Faraday Grid to conduct market research on the power electronics industry in the UK. Located in South Wales, the CSA is part of the Catapult programme and works collaboratively with the private sector and academia and has built strong relationships with key players across the UK power electronics industry.
The CSA Catapult has delivered research findings around the key trends and drivers across the power electronics industry and the impact they will have on materials, sourcing and cost. Application areas that the Catapult explored included electric vehicles and power converters.
The study concluded that the UK’s electric grid requirements will grow by 10-15% per annum over the next 10-15 years and that electric vehicles are set to drive 85% of that increased demand.
Based on this data, the CSA Catapult modelled a variety of different scenarios for the industry and provided Faraday with technology, economic and supply chain roadmaps.
Commenting on the partnership, Catapult CEO, Stephen Doran, said: “We were delighted to deliver these research findings on the future markets and trends in power electronics. In the early twentieth century, the UK led the world in developing the electricity grid.
"Today, the centralised nature of our electricity grid means it is not responsive to the nation’s future power needs. The Faraday Grid enables smart grid networks and decentralised energy storage, which are critical if we are to power electric vehicles up and down the country."
The Faraday Grid enables an energy system fit for the future, providing clean, reliable and affordable energy to everyone. Its system architecture can deliver power from anywhere to anyone across the grid. It provides an open platform for technologies and solutions to connect and transact and enables better power quality and lower energy costs than a traditional electricity network.
Jim Darroch, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Faraday Grid, commented:
“The electricity grid needs to adapt to keep pace with greater supply from renewables and increasing demand from households and businesses. Faraday Grid’s mission is to bring clean, reliable and affordable energy to all. For this, we need to have a clear foresight of device and technology trends so that we can continue to meet the demands of the future, and technologies yet to be invented.”