Visit Booth #6616 to Learn More About Renesas PLC Technologies for Building Automation and Smart Metering Applications for Microgrids

September 11, 2017

SANTA CLARA, Calif., September 11, 2017 ― Renesas Electronics America Inc., a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced it will highlight its portfolio of smart energy solutions at Solar Power International, September 11-13, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. At booth #6616, Renesas will showcase powerline communications (PLC) technologies that enable the reliable and cost-effective deployment of building automation and metering applications in smart energy microgrids. Renesas will highlight its voice-over PLC technology in the Smart Energy Microgrid Pavilion section and will also showcase its market-leading power metering and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) communication solutions.

As more system manufacturers commit to minimizing their long-term carbon footprint, microgrids offer a flexible distributed energy system for solar and other renewables. Successful microgrid deployment requires robust communications between several elements, including photovoltaic (PV) cells, energy storage systems, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) controllers, sensors, and power meters. At Solar Power International, Renesas will highlight its third-generation system-on-chip (SoC)-based PLC technologies and field-proven metering solutions that enable reliability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. These technologies allow system integrators, solution providers, and microgrid architects to simplify development and dramatically reduce the costs of smart-energy infrastructures.

Panel Discussion

Renesas Electronics America’s Peter Knazko, Segment Manager, Smart Grid & Metrology, and Vivek Sardana, Segment Manager, Building Automation, will address “Emerging Trends in Microgrid Communications Technologies”

When: Monday, September 11, 2017, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Where: Smart Energy Stage: Booth 6427

Technology Demonstrations – Building Automation Networks

Direct current (DC) networks offer tremendous benefits in energy savings as the industry transitions to net zero energy (NZE) buildings. At Solar Power International, Renesas will demonstrate the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of deploying a PLC networking topology for controlling lighting, air-conditioning, and multiple environmental sensors in a building automation environment – using a single 24V DC power cable.

Technology Demonstrations – Voice-over-PLC Networks

Deploying voice communication between “nodes” in a microgrid ecosystem can be a very useful tool for building security and occupant safety systems, such as emergency alarms, building entry authentication, and building controller/technician interfaces. However, complexity of voice communication networks and the associated infrastructure expenses is often cost prohibitive. Renesas will showcase how efficiently voice commands or pre-stored audio messages can be communicated over a simple and low-cost 24V DC wiring network, either individually between a “master” and a “slave” device, or as a simultaneous broadcast to multiple recipients.

Technology Demonstrations – Electric Power Measurement and Metering Communication

Flexible metering communication is becoming essential for utilities that need to deploy meters in diverse networks that combine wireless and wired connectivity from the meter to the concentrator. Renesas will showcase a hybrid radio frequency (RF)/PLC network demonstrating unique metrology and communications reference designs developed with Renesas technology.

For more information about Renesas’ PLC and metering technologies for microgrids, stop by booth #6166 at Solar Power International.

For more information about Renesas, follow Renesas Electronics America at @RenesasAmerica on Twitter and http://www.facebook.com/RenesasAmerica.

About Renesas Electronics America

Renesas Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live—securely and safely. The number one global supplier of microcontrollers, and a leader in Analog & Power and SoC products, Renesas provides the expertise, quality, and comprehensive solutions for a broad range of Automotive, Industrial, Home Electronics (HE), Office Automation (OA) and Information Communication Technology (ICT) applications to help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com.

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