Motors account for 40%, lighting for 15% of global electricity use
Here are some interesting numbers* on world energy consumption I got from Arun Mittal of Infineon's Power Management Business unit:
- 1/3 of all energy consumed globally is electric power, or 15.4 million GWh per year (2004)
- Of this 15.4M GWh,
- 40% (6.2M GWh) is consumed by motors
- 15% (2.3M GWh) is consumed by lighting
Now consider China's booming economy, which is fueling the demand by Chinese consumers for white goods – that is, home appliances like washing machines and dryers, whose main component is motors and control electronics. Put these puzzle pieces together and you'll find that while in the US consumers are concerned about automobile fuel economy, China is looking at energy-efficient electrical appliances. Have you noticed the spate of new product announcements on power control circuits for motor controllers and lighting control ICs? Companies like Infineon and International Rectifier see motor and lighting control as huge growth markets where consumers, either through cost-driven energy awareness or because their government mandates it, are willing to pay a price premium for green white goods.
*2004 - BP World Energy Report EIA - International World Energy Outlook 2005
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