Sustainability and Citizenship
Message from CEO Balu Balakrishnan
In 1997 I read a paper from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory explaining that billions of dollars are wasted each year by computers, TVs and other electronic devices that are plugged in but not in use. One of the culprits behind this "standby" waste was the power supplies that convert the high voltage from a wall outlet into the lower voltage needed by most electronics. These power supplies tended to be highly inefficient when it came to supplying just enough watts to power a remote-control sensor, LED display, or some other standby function. At that time, Power Integrations was developing a new power-supply chip called TinySwitch™, featuring an innovative switching technique that enabled high efficiency at reduced levels of output. It was a "light bulb" moment for us; what we had thought would be a side benefit of our new product was not only a solution to a major economic and environmental problem but also a great business opportunity for Power Integrations.
Since then, all of our AC-DC power-conversion chips have included this technology, known as EcoSmart™. We have shipped more than 20 billion chips with EcoSmart technology, and we estimate that these chips are saving about 15 terawatt-hours of electricity annually—enough to power about two million homes for a full year. They do this without adding cost and without any change in behavior on the part of end users. I believe that the impact of EcoSmart technology will expand in the years ahead as billions of new electronic devices are connected to the grid, such as USB charging ports, smart utility meters, networked thermostats and myriad other “IoT” and smart-home devices.
In 2019 we achieved another energy-saving breakthrough with the introduction of PowiGaN™, our proprietary gallium-nitride technology, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional silicon power transistors. PowiGaN technology is a cornerstone of our product roadmap. Many of our product families are already available with PowiGaN transistors, and we have many more products in the pipeline that will feature this revolutionary technology. We are also now offering 900-volt and 1250-volt versions of PowiGaN technology (in addition to the original 750-volt version), broadening the range of applications that will benefit from the superior efficiency of GaN.
Our commitment to clean technologies also includes products designed specifically for electric vehicles and LED lighting, our energy-efficient BridgeSwitch™ drivers for brushless DC motors, and our high-power gate drivers, which are vital components in electric locomotives, solar and wind energy, and efficient DC transmission delivering renewable energy to the grid.
We believe that there is economic opportunity in operating with the benefit of society and the environment in mind. We take the long view in our planning and decision-making, investing for long-term, sustainable growth and profitability. We use renewable energy to help power our facilities; in 2021 we added solar arrays at our facilities in Switzerland and Germany, and in 2023 we undertook a major expansion of our existing 600-kilowatt solar array in California, which will add about a megawatt of generating capacity. We incorporate green, conflict-free materials in our products, and foster stable, long-term relationships with manufacturing partners holding ISO quality and environmental certifications.
We value our people, providing generous benefits while giving employees the tools and training to grow as individuals, and the freedom to take risks in the service of innovation. In 2023 we received Great Place to Work® certification for the second consecutive year, recognizing that 85% of our employees regard Power Integrations as a great place to work – 28 points higher than the average U.S. company. In fact, 90% of employees reported feeling a sense of pride in the company’s accomplishments.
I share that feeling of pride, not only in what our technology has done to benefit the world, but also the responsible way in which we conduct our business. I invite you to read more about it here on our website, and I encourage you to view our 2022 Analyst Day presentation, in which I spoke about all of the ways Power Integrations is contributing to a lower-carbon future.
Balu Balakrishnan
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Power Integrations, Inc.
Updated: April 2024
