The energy and transportation industries are evolving rapidly, although not completely predictably. Regarding energy, the United States is poised for a first with respect to solar power.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects that U.S. annual solar electricity generation will surpass hydropower generation in 2024. Yet E&ENEWS cites several roadblocks to the technology, including limited domestic solar manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and interconnection challenges.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining on internal combustion engine versions worldwide in the transportation industry, although not without some setbacks. Higher levels of autonomy remain elusive, and concerns over battery range and insufficient charging infrastructure persist, although hydrogen fuel cells may offer an alternative.
As the details get worked out, manufacturers in the energy and transportation industries can benefit from flexible bidirectional programmable DC power supplies that can meet the needs of a variety of solar, battery, fuel-cell, and EV drivetrain simulation and test requirements.
EV, battery, and charger markets
The EV market faces several challenges. McKinsey points out that despite steady progress in 2023, EV sales have slowed in some areas due to technological issues and persistent concerns about battery range. Nevertheless, EVs continue gaining market share. According to the IEA, nearly 14 million new electric cars were registered globally in 2023, representing a 35% year-on-year increase and bringing the total number of electric cars on the road to 40 million. BloombergNEF forecasts that the number of passenger EVs on the road could reach 722 million in 2040 based on what the firm calls an Economic Transition Scenario, in which current techno-economic trends drive the EV transition. That figure, though, is 380 million short of the number envisioned for a net-zero-carbon scenario, the firm says.
Most EVs rely on batteries for their energy sources, and the battery and EV charging-station markets are expanding along with the EV market. The global automotive battery market size was $49.70 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from $52.44 billion in 2024 to $82.90 billion by 2032, for a CAGR of 5.9%, according to Fortune Business Insights. As for EV charging stations, Allied Market Research forecasts that the market is growing at a CAGR of 30.5% and will reach $226.3 billion in 2031.
From fuel cells to solar arrays
Fuel cells offer an alternative to batteries for EVs. Although the automotive fuel-cell market started sluggishly, it is expected to grow as concerns about driving range and battery charging times persist. Fortune Business Insights puts the market at $4.98 billion in 2023 and projects it to grow from $7.42 billion in 2024 to $121.39 billion by 2032—a CAGR of 41.8%.
The solar-array market is also expanding, with applications ranging from utility-scale solar farms to portable battery chargers for backpackers. Market Data Forecast estimates the global solar-panel market is growing at a CAGR of 15.18% and will reach $348.32 billion by 2029, while Verified Market Reports estimates that the global solar battery-charger market is growing at a CAGR of 17.5% and will reach $5.2 billion by 2030 . The firm cites solar-powered EV charging stations and portable units for consumer outdoor activities as key application areas.
Modular DC power system
If you work in one or more of these areas, AMETEK Programmable Power’s new Sorensen Modular intelligent-Bidirectional Energy Amplified (Mi-BEAM) regenerative programmable DC power system provides the optimal combination of features and performance to meet your requirements for battery simulation and test, solar-array simulation, end-of-line battery test, and drivetrain test (Figure 1). Mi-BEAM offers unit power levels of 12 kW, 25 kW, and 37 kW in a 4U rack height with voltage ranges of 600 V, 1,500 V, and 2,000 V and current ratings of ±50 A, ±100 A, and ±150 A. For maximum flexibility, you can connect modules in parallel to deliver power levels to 1.3 MW with current to 4,800 A.
Figure 1. Mi-BEAM supports several use cases.
Key features include industry-leading transient response times and the ability to regenerate power back to the AC line with efficiencies of up to 95% while providing a seamless transition between source and sink operation. In addition, Mi-BEAM is easy to use. You can control it via its intuitive front-panel touchscreen (Figure 2), which lets you set and monitor output programming parameters, supervisory functions, and set-point limits. Mi-BEAM also has a GUI that lets you control it remotely over LAN, USB, RS-232, and optional IEEE-488 interfaces.
Figure 2. You can control Mi-BEAM via its intuitive front-panel touchscreen.
Mi-BEAM offers several operating modes, including bidirectional mode, source mode, electronic-load mode, battery simulation and test modes, and photovoltaic simulation mode. Read our white paper Bidirectional Programmable DC Power Supplies Augment Simulation and Test to learn more about how these modes enable the use cases outlined in Figure 1. And for complete Mi-BEAM details, visit the Mi-BEAM product page.
Market Data Forecast estimates $348.32 billion by 2029. Verified Market Reports estimates $5.2 billion by 2030. These numbers are wildly different. Are we sure the data is correct? [JB1]
