Renewable energies

The central role in Europe’s sustainable energy mix

In addition to photovoltaics and wind power, technologies such as fuel cells, electrolysers, geothermal energy and combined heat and power plants (CHP) are also becoming increasingly important. Specialised industry pages are already available for the first two technologies. The other topics are usually covered in less detail in other source media, even though they are technically sophisticated and forward-looking.

What they all have in common is that they generate electricity – or use electricity. CHP plants generate electrical energy from biomass. In addition, usable heat is produced, which can be reused as an energy source. Basically, a CHP plant is a small power plant with the appropriate electrical equipment – from control transformers to mains filters.

Geothermal energy is technically somewhat more complex: hot water is extracted from deep layers of the earth, usually with medium-voltage pumps. The flow rate is regulated by frequency converters. Many inductive components are necessary for stable operation, such as mains chokes and HF filters. Sinusoidal filters behind the frequency converter and a matching transformer that converts low voltage to medium voltage (1,500 – 3,500 V) are particularly important. Only when everything is perfectly coordinated does the system function reliably – and that is precisely where our strength lies!

There are two areas of application in the hydrogen sector:
1. The fuel cell converts hydrogen into electricity. This requires inverters with sine wave or LCL filters and transformers for feeding into the grid.
2. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, which involves separating water into hydrogen and oxygen using high direct currents. This so-called green hydrogen is particularly in demand in the chemical and metal industries. High-current transformers are used, as in electroplating, supplemented by special inductive filters to reduce grid interference.

All three areas – CHP, geothermal energy, and hydrogen technology – will grow significantly in the coming years. We already have extensive experience with the necessary inductive components and offer suitable solutions for tomorrow’s challenges: