Semiconductor Innovation for Sustainable Energy

These days, when I walk on the street, I often see solar panels on the roof of a building or on top of a parking lot. It used to be amazing, but at some point, I thought, "Does this help so much?" Especially on the news on a day when a lot of electricity is used in the summer, it was even more so because the news talked about the burden of electricity and I was concerned about electricity bills. In fact, when I heard about eco-friendly and sustainable, it was kind of cool, but it often felt like a big deal. But as I looked it up, I found that technology that makes electricity use good is important, whether it be solar or battery, and semiconductors are at the center of it. Honestly, at first, I only thought of semiconductors like smartphone chips, but it was surprising that they almost played an essential role in the energy field.

Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, but there are many parts that are not suitable for using that electricity as it is. Basically, sunlight generates electricity through direct current (DC), and the voltage can fluctuate depending on the intensity of sunlight or temperature. However, the electricity we use at home is usually alternating current (AC), and in order to connect to the power grid, the shape of the electricity must be adjusted stably. At this time, a power conversion device such as an inverter is needed, and the core that quickly repeats the conversion and makes electricity into a desired form is semiconductors. To put it simply, it plays a role in reducing losses by matching electricity to a set standard so that it does not come out arbitrarily. Batteries don't just end up in storage. Repeated charging and discharging can lead to heat or life span, and overcharging or over discharging can lead to safety issues. Therefore, the battery system includes a device that continuously measures and controls voltage, current, and temperature like BMS, and semiconductors such as sensors and control circuits go deep into it as well. In the past, charging was strangely heated after using an inexpensive auxiliary battery, but now that I think about it, there is a

possibility that the design to control or protect power inside was insufficient due to the low price. Recalling this experience, it struck me more that semiconductors are an invisible core that protects efficiency and safety at the same time than simple performance in the energy field.

It's good for me to have more eco-friendly energy, but the reality doesn't seem as simple as I thought. When electricity is needed, solar or wind power may not always come out as desired because electricity varies greatly depending on the weather. This is why storage technology, such as batteries, grows together, and technology for efficiently changing and managing electricity becomes more important. But the cost is another issue. The cost is inevitable because efficient power conversion devices or stable battery systems require materials and processes, and require functions that can withstand high-temperature and high-voltage environments. In the end, people must be able to actually install and use sustainability, but if the initial cost is borne, the spread will inevitably slow down. And as these devices increase, we also see how much energy or resources are spent in the process of making them. In other words, if there is another environmental burden to go eco-friendly, it becomes a little ambiguous. So, talking about ESG these days seems to be meaningful in that it is not just image management, but to really examine the entire process. 

What I realized based on what I've looked for is that in the future, more generation units are not enough, and those who handle electricity smarter must go together. In the process of changing electricity, there should be less loss, make the battery safer and longer, and the system as a whole should run stably. I think semiconductor technology will continue to be important in this regard. And I personally felt that efficiency was a very realistic keyword. In the end, if you can do more with the same electricity, rather than just being eco-friendly, it will be the most direct help. As a result, as semiconductors convert electricity more efficiently to reduce losses and reduce energy leaks unnecessarily, it will actually be closer to a sustainable direction. In the future, it will become more important not only to improve device performance, but also to think about the entire product process together, such as designing using less materials or increasing life span.

What I felt while looking at this topic was that eco-friendly energy should not only increase solar panels or batteries, but also increase technology that efficiently changes electricity and manages it safely. And it was more interesting than I thought that Semiconductors played quite a lot of roles. Actually, in the past, the word sustainability was so grand that it didn't sound like my story, but after going in a little bit, it eventually led to very realistic problems such as how to use less electricity, use it safely, and use it for a long time. So, if I study electrical engineering, I think I will be interested in this side, circuitry and semiconductor technology, which make electricity more efficient. Rather than something grandiose, it seems that the real path to sustainability is to make products and systems that people actually use less wasteful and safer.