SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 18, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI), the leader in high-voltage analog integrated circuits for power conversion and the inventor of EcoSmart(r) energy-efficiency technology, today announced that Balu Balakrishnan, the company's president and CEO, will ring the opening bell at the Nasdaq Stock Market on December 20. The event marks the tenth anniversary of the company's initial public offering, which took place in December 1997. The company is also observing the fifth anniversary of the launch of its LinkSwitch products, the first monolithic power-conversion chips that replace the notoriously inefficient power supplies known as "energy vampires."
Power Integrations chips with EcoSmart technology are used in power supplies, which convert high-voltage AC power from a wall outlet into the low-voltage DC power needed by most electronics. EcoSmart technology reduces the power wasted in this process and virtually eliminates standby losses, the power consumed while an electronic product is in its lowest-power mode. EcoSmart technology can be found in all manner of electronic products including computer and entertainment equipment, appliances and AC adapters such as cellphone chargers; in all, Power Integrations has sold nearly 2 billion chips with EcoSmart technology since 1998.
Power Integrations' LinkSwitch chips replace the worst offenders: the bulky copper-and-iron transformers commonly used to power cordless phones, modems, rechargeable tools and many other everyday products. Known as "energy vampires" because they have two "fangs" and suck electricity continuously, this century-old technology is now rapidly giving way to more efficient alternatives. Power Integrations has sold approximately 200 million LinkSwitch chips since launching the product line in 2002, and saw its LinkSwitch revenues increase by 150 percent in the most recent quarter.
"Power Integrations has proven that enabling energy-efficiency through innovative, cost-effective technology can be good for the environment and for investors," said Mr. Balakrishnan. "We estimate that our EcoSmart technology has saved approximately 17 million tons of CO2 emissions since 1998, an amount equal to the annual emissions of nearly three million cars.
"Meanwhile, in ten years as a public company our revenue has grown at an average rate of 15 percent per year, while our stock has appreciated at an average of 23 percent per year," Mr. Balakrishnan added. "This demonstrates that green business can be good business."
In recognition of the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology, Power Integrations' stock is included in the NASDAQ Clean Edge U.S. Index (Nasdaq:CLEN), which track the stocks of companies offering clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies. The company has also twice been named to SustainableBusiness.com's list of the world's 20 most sustainable stocks, and has received awards from ENERGY STAR and the Alliance to Save Energy.
About Power Integrations
Power Integrations, Inc. is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in power conversion. The company's breakthrough technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in both AC-DC and DC-DC applications. The company's EcoSmart energy-efficiency technology, which dramatically reduces energy waste, has saved consumers and businesses around the world more than an estimated $2.6 billion on their electricity bills since its introduction in 1998. For more information, visit the company's website at www.powerint.com. For information on global energy-efficiency standards and EcoSmart solutions, visit the Power Integrations Green Room at www.powerint.com/greenroom.