Fab Pitfalls with "Green Energy" at University and Government Campuses

Many university and government campuses have rapidly expanding “Green Energy” programs. These programs often include a mix of solar photovoltaic power, wind power, fuel cells, and other low-carbon sources. Unfortunately, practical experience has shown serious problems with these sources powering sensitive fab tools. A better solution is to operate the fab tools from traditional utility-provided power, then use the “green” power to operate less-sensitive fab support equipment: chillers, CDA compressors, CDW pumps, and so forth. This less-sensitive equipment often consumes half or more of the entire fab energy budget, and is readily adaptable - with some small technical effort - to tolerate the power disturbances found on a “green” grid.