Environment

While we have initiatives in place to reduce energy consumption in our operations, recycle and utilize communication technologies to reduce the need for travel, KB itself plays an interesting and pivotal role in the energy chain. The power conversion products we design and manufacture are the ‘bridge’ between the electricity utility companies and the consumer, converting the energy from the grid and providing it in a form that can be used by electronic equipment. KB is therefore uniquely positioned to make a real contribution to energy efficiency and emission reduction and is leading the power conversion industry in terms of product efficiency.

Historically, electronic power conversion has been a notoriously inefficient process. The original linear transformers still in use today in some sectors are only 50% efficient with half the energy they convert being wasted as heat. KB does not operate in this area, specializing instead in modern ‘switching’ techniques, enabled by semiconductor technology, which allow power converters to be much smaller and more efficient. Modern power converters have typical efficiencies of more than 80%. While this is a major improvement over legacy products, this still represents about 20% wastage. KB is therefore committed to developing technologies to reduce such wastage to a minimum..