High-Frequency Power Electronics at the Grid Edge: A Bottom-Up Approach Toward the Smart Grid

Abstract

Currently, solar energy systems are supplying 2% of US electricity generation and their use is rapidly growing. Data centers make up 2% of the US total energy consumption. By 2030, 40% of the overall worldwide energy consumption is expected to be in the form of electricity. The future development of transportation electrification and smart grids requires grid-scale energy storage. These emerging and high-impact applications locate in the distribution grid. They represent exciting opportunities in developing fundamentally new principles for high performance power electronics that are smaller, smarter, more efficient, and are capable of performing new functions.