The role of power electronics in the utility grid is continually expanding. As converter design processes mature and new advanced materials become available, the pace of industry adoption is poised to accelerate. Looking forward, we can envision a future in which power electronics are as integral to grid functionality as the transformer is today. The Enabling Advanced Power Electronics Technologies for the Next Generation Electric Utility Grid Workshop was organized by Sandia National Laboratories and held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 17-18, 2018. The workshop helped attendees to gain a broader understanding of power electronics R&D needs—from materials to systems—for the next generation electric utility grid. This report summarizes discussions and presentations from the workshop and identifies opportunities for future efforts.
biographies for the speakers, presenters, and panelists.
Questions: Stan Atcitty (505) 284-2701
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Session 1 – What Does the Electric Utility Grid Look Like if Power Electronics are Readily Available? (Moderator: Stan Atcitty, Sandia National Laboratories)
| Energy for What’s Ahead | Manuel Avendano | Southern California Edison |
| Future Electronic Energy Systems | Dushan Boroyevich | Virginia Tech |
| Advanced Grid Research and Development | Kerry Cheung | DOE Office of Electricity |
| Power Electronics and Distributed Control for the Future Grid | Deepak Divan | Georgia Tech |
Session 2 – What is the State-of-the-art of Power Electronics Today? (Moderator: Kaushik Rajashekara, University of Houston)
| Power Electronics & Power Flow Control Technologies | Ram Adapa | Electric Power Research Institute |
| What is the State-of-the-art of Power Electronics Today? | Anant Agarwal | Ohio State University |
| State of SiC-based Power Electronics | Subhashish Bhattacharya | North Carolina State University |
| Power Electronics Technology: Current Status | Madhu Chinthavali | DOE Office of Electricity |
Session 3 – What Components are Needed to Achieve the Session 1 Vision? (Moderator: Bob Kaplar, Sandia National Laboratories)
| Prospects for WBG Power Devices in the Electric Utility Grid | Jim Cooper | Sonrisa Research, Inc. |
| Advanced Magnetic Components Needs | Paul Ohodnicki | National Energy Technology Laboratory |
| Components Needed: Capacitors | Abhijit Gurav | KEMET Corporation |
| Future Power Packaging Technologies Needed for the Next Generation Electric Grid | Brandon Passmore | Wolfspeed |
Session 4 – What Power Electronics Topologies are Needed to Achieve Session 1 Vision? (Moderator: Satish Ranade, New Mexico State University)
| Power Electronics Topologies for Grid 1 | Rajib Datta | GE Global Research |
| Power Electronics Topologies for Grid 2 | Martin Becker | Princeton Power |
| Power Electronics Topologies for Future Electric Grid | Adel Nasiri | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Power Electronics Topologies for Grid 3 | Kaushik Rajashekara | University of Houston |
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Session 5 – What Role do Power Electronics Play in Making the Grid Smarter? (Moderator: Charles Hanley, Sandia National Laboratories)
| What Role do Power Electronics Play in Making the Grid Smarter? | Leo Casey | X (formerly Google[x]) |
| Harnessing Smart Power Electronics to Increase Renewable Energy Penetration in Tomorrow’s Utility Grid | Tom Jahns | University of Wisconsin – Madison |
| Advances in Solar Power Electronics for a Smarter Grid | Hariharan Krishnaswami | DOE Solar Energy Technology Office |
| Virtual Inertia: Designing Power Electronic Systems to Behave like Synchronous Machines | Brandon Grainger | University of Pittsburgh |
Session 6 – What Role do Power Electronics Play in System Integration, Standards, and Safety? (Moderator: Adel Nasiri, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
| IEEE 1547 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Energy Resources with Electric Power Systems | Charlie Vartanian | Mitsubishi Electric Power Products |
| Eaton Corporation – Microgrid Overview | Andy Rockhill | Eaton Corporation |
| Grid Level Power Electronics and Electrical Safety | Wei-Jen Lee | University of Texas at Arlington |