SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 5, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced that Balu Balakrishnan, the company's president and CEO, is the recipient of a 2009 TechAmerica Innovator Award. The awards, given annually since 1959, honor leading innovators in each of seven technology industry segments. Mr. Balakrishnan was named this year's winner in the electronic components category, recognizing the environmental benefits of Power Integrations' EcoSmart(R) energy-efficiency technology, which reduces standby power waste in electronic products. He has been issued more than 100 U.S. patents, including numerous patents related to EcoSmart technology. The award will be presented at the TechAmerica Innovator Awards and Benefit on October 6 in San Jose.
Mr. Balakrishnan commented: "I am honored to receive a TechAmerica Innovator Award recognizing the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology. I share this recognition with all of my colleagues at Power Integrations who have worked on the development of this technology and helped make it a success in the marketplace."
Continued Mr. Balakrishnan: "The growing demand for energy and the environmental impacts of energy generation are among the greatest challenges facing the world today. While alternative energy sources hold great promise for the future, energy efficiency is the cheapest, cleanest, most accessible 'source' of energy available today. EcoSmart technology is providing dramatic efficiency benefits without adding to the cost of electronic products, and without the need for changes in consumer behavior."
Electronic products typically employ power supplies to convert the high-voltage AC power from a wall outlet into low-voltage DC power. These power supplies tend to operate inefficiently at the reduced loads that occur during standby operation, when the end product is "off" or otherwise idle. Power Integrations' integrated circuits with EcoSmart technology intelligently manage the flow of power through the power supply, enabling high efficiency at light loads and thereby drastically reducing standby waste. This technology has saved an estimated $3.7 billion worth of standby power - and millions of tons of greenhouse - gas emissions-since its introduction in 1998.
Additional information on the TechAmerica Innovator Awards program can be found at http://www.techamerica.org/innovatorawards.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in energy-efficient power conversion. The company's innovative technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in AC-DC, DC-DC and LED lighting applications. Since its introduction in 1998, Power Integrations' EcoSmart(R) energy-efficiency technology has saved an estimated $3.7 billion of standby energy waste and prevented millions of tons of CO2 emissions. The company's Green Room (www.powerint.com/greenroom) provides a wealth of information about "energy vampires" and the issue of standby energy waste, along with a comprehensive guide to energy-efficiency standards around the world. Reflecting the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology, Power Integrations is included in clean-technology stock indices sponsored by the Cleantech Group (Amex:CTIUS) and Clean Edge (Nasdaq:CELS). For more information, please visit www.powerint.com.