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Global attention is now directed to energy. Electricity, especially, is increasing its share as an easy-to-use form of energy. Our important challenge in this respect is how we can secure resources to generate electric energy.
Murata is promoting total energy management by making a transition to "smart energy" where demand and supply of electricity are managed with advanced IT systems to warrant efficient energy usage.
Consumers can automatically conserve energy without their knowledge in this new era of energy management. Cutting-edge electronic technologies with innovations to solve energy issues are already in action.
World energy consumption is projected to keep on growing. Meanwhile, the supply of fossil fuels such as petroleum and coals are limited, and the safety and security of nuclear power is casting doubts. The energy resource map will have to be redrawn from scratch in the near future. As resources deplete and demands soar, we are in urgent need of efficient energy use through energy management. To this end, Murata has set the field of "Environment/Energy" as one of its targets.
Murata is honing technologies to realize efficient conversion and transmission of electricity as well as new ways to generate and store electric energy. New devices and modules are being developed with next generation homes, offices, infrastructures and modes of transportation in mind. Murata is developing products to meld with lifestyles of the future.
Energy management, as Murata conceives, concerns three elements in our daily living, generation, transmission and storage of electricity. Technologies we have nurtured throughout our company history, capacitor, sensor and network technologies will fully contribute to the generation and efficient use of electric power.
In order to conduct smart management of energy, we need a systematic energy management framework. These are the technologies to make facilities and equipment systematic and intelligent. Murata's technologies are expected to help make a great advancement in the field of smart energy.
Energy management is an important concept for efficient use of electricity by eliminating waste. As we enter a new era of power conservation and high efficiency, "smart energy" is becoming a new keyword. Each challenge proposed by energy management and smart energy will find its solution in combinations of Murata’s capacitor, sensing and communication technologies. This market is still in its inception stage. Murata will continue to strive to realize big dreams with small devices.
Generating energy, transmitting through a network and storing until it is necessary: The first step to smart energy, as Murata conceives, is divided into three technologies, "generation," "transmission" and "storage" of electricity. When equipment with weak current technology-based devices and modules permeate homes, offices and streets, energy will be automatically conserved without the knowledge of end users. Already, solutions to energy issues are beyond making improvements in large-scale power plants. Murata’s product and production technologies developed from consumer product devices are steadily making our living smarter.
Harvesting Inconspicuous Microenergy Around Us In Challenge of a New Genre: Energy Harvesting
Energy harvesting is a technology to generate electric power by collecting minute amounts of energy around us such as vibration and heat. Murata is currently developing four types of devices, piezoelectric material-based devices, electret material-based devices, thermoelectric material-based devices and devices containing dye emitting electrons when exposed to light. Our life will be transformed by harvesting inconspicuous new energy around us.
Four products to aid energy harvesting
Communication Technology Explores Electric Transmission Possibilities From Low-Power Applications to Power Electronics
Converting electricity to electric signals to transmit power via a network is a technology Murata excels at. Cutting-edge technologies such as ZigBee® and EnOcean®, operating at lower power than Wi-Fi*4 and Bluetooth®*5, are introduced in Murata’s wireless switches. Wireless power transmission supplies electricity without cables. Murata’s technologies are exploring electric transmission possibilities.
*4: Wi-Fi is a registered trademark or a trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance.
*5: Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
Wireless power transmission modules capable of being recharged without a connection
Monolithic Ceramic Capacitor Technology Gives Birth to a Fleet of New Energy Devices
The basic role of capacitors is storing electricity. Capitalizing on the technology accumulated as a company commanding top share in the global ceramic capacitor market, Murata is exploring a brand new way to store electricity. Layering technology-based lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are characterized by rapid recharge and high power. Polymer-based non-ceramic electrical double layer capacitors store electric power efficiently and charge/discharge electricity with little degradation. Enabling efficient storage of electricity will greatly change the future of energy.
Electrical double layer capacitor, a non-ceramic capacitor product