Power Generation and Storage Reference Materials

Description: Our engineers view every aspect of performance as “our job” until a satisfactory result is achieved. ...

Description: IoT wearables generate lots of buzz in the tech community, often accompanied by insane projections of exponential growth. Why haven't these projections been realized? Power is a significant hurdle. To ...

Description: Whether powering an outdoor asset tracker or an indoor BLE beacon, understanding the balance between power consumption and power generation is critical to an energy harvesting solution. A properly ...

Description: In order to keep up with advanced battery technology, manufacturers and users need battery test systems that are flexible and responsive. ...

Description: Many test applications require systems that both provide power and consume power. One of the most common applications for this type of functionality is battery testing. ...

Description: As they become more widely used, there is a question of how best to re-use or recycle the lithium-ion batteries that power these vehicles. ...

Description: There are many advantages to simulating batteries when testing battery-powered equipment, battery chargers, or battery-management systems during design and production tests ...

Description: Integrating solar panels into a printed circuit board can make life a lot easier for product designers. What if the product design you are working on requires a PCB to be flexible? Luckily flexible ...

Description: Batteries are required for nearly every electronic device, it seems. They allow for simple operation and quick deployment. What happens when those batteries die? In this post we discuss the ...

Description: PV cells have the potential to supplement power to a wide range of IoT and battery-powered electronics. These devices are often compact and connecting a PV cell directly to the embedded PCB circuitry ...

Description: E-mobility is booming. In 2020, the global fleet of electrically powered vehicles rose to 10.9 million, powered by lithium-ion batteries. However, with increasing operating time, the lithium-ion ...

Description: PowerFilm flexible PV cells and reference designs make implementing energy harvesting into your products more accessible. Our latest cells offer smaller form factors, ideal for the compact electronics ...

Description: Harvesting indoor light energy is a viable power solution for many wireless sensors, trackers, and low-power devices used in a growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Indoor ...

Description: What is wet stacking and what causes it? What technologies has Caterpillar implemented to help prevent wet stacking? This paper answers these questions while explaining the cylinder cutout strategies ...

Description: Indoor solar is somewhat of an oxymoron. How can a solar panel work without sunlight? Solar panels, or Photovoltaics (PV), work via the photoelectric effect, which converts light into electricity. ...

Description: The global climate is changing, and many are working to reduce emissions and build up resiliency across sectors, including electricity generation, transportation, industry, and commercial and ...

Description: New and strict regulations in metallurgical plants worldwide are restricting particulate and acid gas emissions to extremely low levels. Because of that, sulphuric acid plants are being installed to ...

Description: An Integral Step in Biomass Gasification ...

Description: Sulfuric acid is a major industrial chemical used to produce end products, such as fibers, chemical compounds, paints, detergents, and dyes. The most abundant amount of sulfuric acid production is ...

Description: A preferred Technology for Emission Control ...

Description: Since the wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) achieved emission control of gas streams by removing up to 99.9% of the submicron particulate matter, it was evident the WESP system would be a perfect ...

Description: Inspiration can strike at a moment's notice. One minute you're at a cafe sipping coffee and reading a magazine when all of a sudden, the lightbulb turns on, and your next great product idea is born. ...

Description: Energy Harvesting Power Management ICs (EH PMIC) are critical components of energy-autonomous electronics. They connect PV, energy storage, and the load ensuring power flows efficiently between all ...

Description: In the age of portable electronics, companies need unique ways to power products that enhance value, lead to a great customer experience and make business sense. Often grid power is unavailable, and ...

Description: There are many considerations when calculating your power budget. ...

Description: Often you might think about inexpensive batteries versus their elite counterpart, but many times we neglect the importance of a charge controller in the solar collection process. ...

Description: Solar panels provide meaningful power at home, on the road and anywhere you need it. A complete solar solution includes the panel, a storage device which is usually a battery, and a charge controller ...

Description: In the solar industry, one size does not fit all. PowerFilm's unique technology and custom solar capabilities enable us to develop power solutions that match the requirements of an application ...

Description: How can you determine voltage and current of a solar module? This is a pretty common question so let's dive right in. The voltage of a solar module is based on the number of cells in a module. ...

Description: In 2025 there are projected to be over 70 billion connected electronic devices worldwide. Every electronic device needs power to operate which usually comes in the form of a battery. Batteries are ...

Description: Solar panels love the sun. They perform best when they're in it and angled appropriately, but what happens when these ideal conditions aren't achievable? What happens to a solar panel when it's ...

Description: Temperature, both hot and cold, are vital parts of determining how well a solar panel will operate and has to be accounted for when designing a solution. ...

Description: Over the years many different types of photovoltaics (PV) have been created, each possesses unique qualities, but one thing remains true, all applications aren't necessarily satisfied by the same ...

Description: How do you determine the power output required from a solar panel to recharge a battery based on current load? This is a great question and important when thinking about what solar panel to select ...

Description: PowerFilm has been providing custom solar solutions in the IoT, military, and commercial spaces for over 30 years. But what does that mean? Due to the many parameters and complexity of our process, ...

Description: Beacons don't waste power maintaining a connection, are one of the lowest power wireless protocols available and ideal candidates for indoor solar. ...

Description: Solar isn't just for rooftops with direct sunlight anymore, many electronics can be powered using solar in shady and even indoor conditions. ...

Description: In some cases, devices may require more power than a reasonably sized solar panel can produce. If the device doesn't need to run continuously, a solar solution is usually still possible. ...

Description: The Internet of Things (IoT) industry isn't slowing down any time soon. It's picking up pace. More devices than ever before are simplifying our everyday life, tracking cargo, assisting in logistics, ...

Description: An effective solar energy harvesting solution requires more than just a solar panel. We have partnered with e-peas, an energy harvesting PMIC solution provider, and thin prismatic supercapacitor ...

Description: Can I use my solar panel indoors? We get that question a lot at PowerFilm. The answer isn't as cut and dry as you might think. To our eyes, indoor environments seem pretty bright. That's only ...

Description: What does it mean to truly own something? To control the ins and outs of a process until you are almost one with it? To ensure things fit, perform and make sense? ...

Description: When people think of a power supply they typically think of a device that will put out a constant voltage and supply current to a device as necessary. A solar panel, on the other hand, will vary its ...

Description: While it is important to take care of things, do you ever feel like putting something to the ultimate test? I do. "Let's see what kind of damage this thing can take and still function," I say to ...

Description: "Energy Harvesting." This buzz word sounds straightforward, but what does it actually mean? Where does this energy come from, and how do you "harvest" it? Is it useful for real-life solutions? How ...

Description: You might have wondered, how do shorter days affect solar? Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, they don't produce as much energy. Many environmental factors affect the amount of light your panels ...

Description: What exactly does solar cell efficiency mean? If you've spent any time in the solar industry you understand that one of the first questions out of a person's mouth when it comes to solar technology ...

Description: To many, solar isn't just confusing; it's downright scary. There are so many factors to think through, so many variables to consider. It would be enough to make anyone frightful. Luckily, that's ...

Description: It looks bright, why doesn't my solar panel produce more power? This is a fantastic question and one that we get a lot. The root of this issue is actually our eyes. ...

Description: Lamination affects every single thing you tested and is an incredibly important piece of the solar-build puzzle -- one that is often neglected or not understood entirely. It is a balancing act in ...

Description: As the IoT industry rapidly expands into commercial, consumer, and industrial spaces, new and innovative ways to power the increasing number of connected devices are needed to ensure sustainability, ...

Description: In the consumer world, convenience is king. Consumers want devices and systems that are easy to use and dependable. The best consumer IoT solutions are those that people can set up and forget about. ...

Description: Like commercial businesses, companies in the industrial space are also driven by cost saving. Although they can benefit from building automation and asset management systems just like commercial ...

Description: In today's hyper-competitive landscape, businesses are looking for any way possible to get more out of less. Modern technology gives businesses the tools they need to make smart, data-driven ...

Description: It seems that everywhere you go these days people are talking about IoT. Whether it's smart light bulbs that respond to your voice or sensors that transmit data, these devices are everywhere. While ...

Description: At PowerFilm we take great pride in our products and quality is of the utmost importance. To ensure quality at a reasonable price, periodic tests are performed throughout the manufacturing process. ...

Description: Today we are going to address solar's most famous myths, why they are so attractive and the truth behind them. ...

Description: When do I need a charge controller to charge a battery with a solar panel? This is a very common question and one that is absolutely crucial. In most cases you will need some type of a charge ...

Description: Batteries are everywhere. They're in a seemingly endless number of devices we use from cell phones, remotes, Bluetooth speakers, GoPro cameras and everything in between. While batteries are nothing ...

Description: The world of IoT is rapidly developing and changing. Since the industry itself is still in its infancy, there are many options for radios and varying standards for different IoT segments. When ...

Description: When you think of solar panels you might picture large expansive solar fields or an array of solar panels installed on a home near where you live. While "solar farms" and building-integrated solar ...

Description: There are incredibly inexpensive options that are attractive at first blush, but when you dig deeper the quality of these panels and their assembly process leave much to be desired. ...

Description: Through the years we have fielded almost every solar related question you can imagine. One that consistently comes up is the possibility of collecting solar energy through glass. Let's explore if ...

Description: Taking a product "off grid" and having the piece of mind that it will continue to work year after year at the highest level is no simple task. Understanding the power budget of your system is a ...

Description: Solar panels are typically made up of many cells connected in series, which increase the output voltage of the panel. Multiple cells used to be a requirement when circuitry could not run on low ...

Description: Telematics is a growing field in the industry allowing fleet managers and dedicated telematics solution providers to dramatically improve fleet operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. What ...

Description: Commercial vehicles and trailers have a surprising number of batteries to power auxiliary systems including APU (Auxiliary Power Units) battery banks, the truck battery itself, and liftgate batteries. ...

Description: The term "Sealed Maintenance-Free," in my opinion, is a marketing-driven term. In the early 1980's, when telephone Private Branch Exchanges (PBX's) were being deployed into customer premises, computer ...

Description: Many microcontrollers, sensors, and reference designs are built around coin cell batteries, making designing with them very easy. Since they are so popular, mass production has also made them very ...

Description: With millions of sensors, beacons, trackers, nodes, and devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding into every nook and cranny of the modern world. What do all these devices have in common? ...

Description: In the transportation industry, the name of the game is efficiency. Efficiency for drivers in delivering products on time and intact. Efficiency for fleet managers ensuring their trucks operate on a ...

Description: Discovered by researchers David L. Staebler and Christopher R. Wronski in 1977, the Staebler-Wronski effect occurs naturally in amorphous silicon manifesting itself primarily as a change in ...

Description: With Li-ion technilogy at their core, m UPSs are evolving in many other ways to optimize reliability at the edge. ...

Description: Wireless devices constitute a large and growing portion of electronics. The importance of reducing the power consumption of these devices can't be overstated. Meeting the power needs of ...

Description: Temporary connection boxes, also known as docking stations, are a preferred method that facility managers can utilize to comply with NEC 2017 provisions for LRSS and to enhance the overall system ...

Description: Battery Equalizer systems are a smarter solution for complex dual voltage systems. Here's what you need to know. ...

Description: ...in order for any of this to happen batteries have some hard issues to address. Below are seven battery-centered challenges the industry is currently discussing. ...

Description: "Nuclear power plants (NPP) need reliable emergency backup power in order to maintain a safe condition after external power failure and to meet related regulations. Comparing two real-life projects ...

Description: What is an Internally Excited (IE) alternator and how does it perform? This paper will provide you with a detailed description of IE and demonstrate how the Cat® SR5 IE performance can be ...

Description: When specifying a generator, it is often easy to overlook one of the most critical parts, the excitation system. Without the excitation system, you will not be able to produce power, and without the ...

Description: Securing Sufficient Equipment Operating Time While Allowing For Compact Batteries ...

Description: Many factors go into the selection of a generator which will impact the cost, performance and life of the product. Two such factors which are directly related, and often misunderstood, are the ...

Description: Remote connectivity and monitoring for generator sets offers multiple opportunities to enhance reliability, increase efficiency, regulate emissions, optimize performance and reduce cost in distributed ...

Description: The safety and efficiency of modern thermal power plants relies on accurate measurement and careful control of operating conditions. This application note aims to provide an overview of the many ...

Description: Gas engines with state-of-the-art combustion and exhaust aftertreatment technologies are equipped to meet new and stricter emission standards. ...

Description: As growth in distributed energy and other factors increase the risk of instability on electric utility systems, nations and grid providers are tightening grid-code requirements. Developers of ...

Description: An overcurrent event on a synchronous generator set occurs any time the load demands more current than the nameplate rating of the generator set. The overcurrent can be caused by the starting of a ...

Description: All facilities with an emergency backup power system require a Transfer Device to monitor the incoming utility power. When it identifies a loss of power, the Transfer Device will send a start signal ...

Description: Diesel generator set manufacturers publish volumetric fuel consumption (vfc) data in their specification sheets. A problem arises when trying to compare vfc data from different manufacturers. The fuel ...

Description: When people are travelling, they want to charge their cars quickly. This increases the demand of ultra fast charging. There are many fast chargers with a 350 kW capacity that can enable a Battery ...

Description: High peak demand customers incur a peak service charge from the utility. A peaking system with proper sizing, testing, and maintenance will help save on utility costs. ...

Description: Azure Power, a solar power generation company located in India, generates and sells cost-efficient solar power to both the Indian government as well as independent industrial and commercial customers. ...

Description: Black Hills Power was looking for a secure Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) backhaul solution that utilized Verizon's cellular network. The AMI backhaul solution needed to be able to securely ...

Description: Deutsche Energie Funk provides electricity demand and monitoring solutions for the power generation market. Tasked with developing a solution to address the demands of collecting real-time data from ...

Description: Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EPM), a leading multi-utility and telco company focusing on power generation, transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution, wastewater treatment, aqueducts ...

Description: This FAQ covers the major benefits of ZPower's silver-zinc microbatteries. ZPower batteries are the smallest, safest, highest-energy rechargeable microbatteries available. They are a good choice for ...

Description: Established by the European Commission, emission standards for engines used in new non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) have been gradually introduced to limit harmful substances in engine exhaust gas ...

Description: The market for large-scale standby electric power has taken a purposeful turn toward natural gas gensets. For decades, diesel engine generators have dominated the standby market and natural gas ...

Description: The art of paralleling generator sets has evolved over time. A process that once required discrete synchronizing components, panels full of induction disc protective relays and analog meters is now ...

Description: Compared with traditional SVC such as modulator, capacitor reactor and thyristor controlled reactor (TCR), SVG is the best solution in the reactive power control field at present and has unparalleled ...