As the Pioneer in Power Management, International Rectifier is Uniquely Positioned to Help Relieve America's Looming Electricity Shortage.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 2000

Today's Power Management Technology Can Help Prevent Power Outages 

With a Long, Hot Summer Ahead, a Power Meltdown Looms On the Horizon

Some can sit on the head of a pin. Others fit nicely in your palm. That's why it's hard to believe they could replace the need for a nuclear power plant.

But don't underestimate these tiny power chips -- before long, virtually every machine you use, from your wireless phone to your washing machine, to your car, will be stuffed with power-management technology.

The science of power management has gone from incidental to essential, improving electrical efficiency in ways that allow everything from gamestations to Internet servers to cram more features into smaller boxes. At the forefront of this sea change is Los Angeles-based International Rectifier Corp. (NYSE:IRF), a pioneer and world leader in the field of power management.

Today, International Rectifier technology not only powers Maytag's Neptune washing machines, but also fuels the Internet backbone of routers and servers, Pentium III personal computers, and Sony's mega-hit PlayStation 2, to name just a few applications.

"Power semiconductors take the raw electricity from a wall socket, refine it, and then provide power circuits exactly the electricity they need to run fast, stay cool, add features and enable a multitude of applications to function at optimal efficiency," explained Alex Lidow, chief executive officer of International Rectifier. "This technology is revolutionizing the way we power our planet."

The timing for power management couldn't be more opportune: burgeoning use of electronic devices, combined with a decadelong economic boom, has turned the conventional wisdom of surplus electrical power on its head.

Consider the ubiquitous personal computer. According to Intelliquest, the 50 million household computers and 150 million business computers each consume on average a whopping 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. And Intelliquest expects another 36 million computers to be sold next year and another 20 million to log onto the Internet.

At the rate our Information Society is gobbling electricity, it's not hard to figure out why brownouts and power shortages already have hit San Francisco and Detroit, and are widely forecast for other cities unable to handle the double whammy of soaring demand and record 100-plus weather.

"The stage is set, and power management is moving front and center as the enabling technology," said Lidow. "Already, International Rectifier's power semiconductors help Maytag's leading-edge Neptune washer to use just half as much energy as other current models."

Last month Maytag joined with Whirlpool Corp., General Electric Co. and several other U.S. appliance manufacturers to forge an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to make energy-efficient washing machines by 2007. Based upon the agreement, manufacturers who exceed efficiency standards will be eligible to earn tax credits.

The Energy Department reports that these new standards will save enough electricity every year to light 16 million U.S. homes for 25 years, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions equal to 35 million cars. Consumers are estimated to save $75 annually in energy costs, and pollution will be reduced because the washers will use less energy.

"Power electronics turns dumb, energy-consuming motors into smart, energy-efficient machines," said Lidow. "Over half the electricity in the U.S. is used to power motors, and power electronics can cut their electricity consumption up to 40 percent. So we wouldn't need to build another nuclear power plant or dam a river for many years to come," said Lidow.

But the biggest savings come in the simplest application -- the light bulb. "About 30 percent of our electricity goes into lighting, and incandescent bulbs waste 75 percent of the energy they consume," said Lidow. "Compact fluorescent bulbs cut electricity consumption by two-thirds and last 10 times longer.

International Rectifier designs, manufactures and markets power-management products to industry leaders in information technology and other market sectors. IR supplies analog ICs and advanced circuit devices, power systems and components, and is the pioneer and market leader in the $3 billion power MOSFET industry. IR's advancements in power management technology allow its customers to add functionality, improve performance and reduce size and weight in products such as routers, servers, cell phones and notebook computers. IR's devices and systems allow battery-operated products to run longer off a single charge, improve automotive fuel efficiency and cut energy consumption in home appliances and industrial motors.