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Search results for: “power electronics”

  • Groq: AI inference breakthrough?

    Groq: AI inference breakthrough?

    Groq has developed LPUs for AI inference, which are up to 10x faster and 80-90% more energy efficient than todayโ€™s GPUs. This 8-page Groq technology review assesses its patent moat, LPU costs, implications for our AI energy models, and whether Groq could ever dethrone NVIDIAโ€™s GPUs?

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  • Grid-forming inverters: islands in the sun?

    Grid-forming inverters: islands in the sun?

    The grid-forming inverter market may soon inflect from $1bn to $15-20bn pa, to underpin most grid-scale batteries, and 20-40% of incremental solar and wind. This 11-page report finds that grid-forming inverters cost c$100/kW more than grid-following inverters, which is inflationary, but integrate more renewables, raise resiliency and efficiency?

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  • LNG plant compressors: chilling goes electric?

    LNG plant compressors: chilling goes electric?

    Electric motors were selected, in lieu of industry-standard gas turbines, to power the main refrigeration compressors at three of the four new LNG projects that took FID in 2024. Hence is a major change underway in the LNG industry? This 13-page report covers the costs of e-LNG, advantages and challanges, and who benfits from shifting…

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  • Overview of lasers: by type, market size and efficiency?

    Overview of lasers: by type, market size and efficiency?

    The global laser market is worth $20bn pa, of which half comprises diode lasers mainly used for fiber-optic communications and around 30% is fiber lasers mainly used for cutting, welding and heat-treating materials. These two laser types dominate because of their high, 30-80% efficiencies. This data-file is a brief overview of lasers.

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  • Photons vs electrons: laser quest?

    Photons vs electrons: laser quest?

    Some commentators say the 21st century will be the โ€˜age of the electronโ€™. But in computing/communications, the photon has long been displacing the electron. This 17-page note gives an overview. It matters as moving data is 50-90% of data center energy use. We contrast fiber vs copper; and explore AI power, optical computing, and a…

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  • Australia energy supply-demand model?

    Australia energy supply-demand model?

    Australia’s useful energy consumption rises from 820TWH pa in 2023, by 1.2% pa 1,100 TWH pa in 2050. As a world-leader in renewables, it makes for an interesting case study. This Australia energy supply-demand model is disaggreated across 215 line items, broken down by source, by use, from 1990 to 2023, and with our forecasts…

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  • Computer memory: aide memoire?

    Computer memory: aide memoire?

    Three types of computer memory dominate modern information processing: Flash, DRAM and SRAM. This 5-page note simply covers each one, how it works, what it costs, advantages, disadvantages, market sizes and leading companies. AI likely boosts all three, but can more SRAM unlock big efficiency gains?

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  • Microwave Chemical: electrical heating?

    Microwave Chemical: electrical heating?

    Microwave Chemical is a small-cap company, developing microwave-based heating solutions, across over a dozen use cases, from acrylic recyling, to producing food/cosmetic compounds, to carbon fiber (particularly interesting!). We reviewed a dozen of the company’s patents in this data-file, which is a Microwave Chemical technology review and finds a moat in efficient microwave heating.

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  • Energy and national security: network risk?

    Energy and national security: network risk?

    National security risks are rising in developed world energy systems, as geopolitics grow more adversarial, and cyber-attacks are at new highs. This 16-page report finds that electrification is on balance making energy systems more vulnerable, then outlines mitigation measures, and opportunities?

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  • Wind turbine capacity factors: by country, by facility?

    Wind turbine capacity factors: by country, by facility?

    Wind turbine capacity factors average 26% globally. But they vary from c20% in non-windy countries to 45% in the windiest countries. And they also vary within countries, with a normal distribution and a standard deviation of 7-12%. This data-file maps capacity factors of wind power generation.

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