International Symposium Brings Together Experts on Distributed Generation

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Fourth International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems was held in Rogers on July 8-11. The National Science Foundation Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronics Systems (GRAPES) Center at the University of Arkansas hosted the event.

The symposium focused on distributed generation systems and included keynote speakers, technical sessions and a tour of the Arkansas Research Technology Park. Distributed generation refers to systems that use small, local sources of power alone or in combination with traditional power grids. A house with a solar panel and a large company with its own small power plant are examples of distributed generation. These systems have several advantages: they can be used to complement a larger power grid, acting as a back-up and making the grid more reliable; they are potentially more energy and cost-efficient; and they can make it easier to incorporate renewable energy sources into the power grid.

Keynote speakers at the conference included Charles Zimmerman, vice president of international design and construction for Walmart Stores Inc.; Tatsuhiko Fujihira, the chief technology officer for electronic devices at Fuji Electric Co.; Ram Adapa, technical leader at the Electric Power Research Institute; Martin Fornage, chief technology officer at Enphase; Uffe Borup, director of technology and innovation at Danfoss; and other power electronics experts from academia and industry.

"The College of Engineering was proud to be a part of this international event," said Terry Martin, professor of electrical engineering and associate dean of the college. "The technology these researchers are working on has the potential to make a direct and immediate impact on the economic and environmental challenges we face today. For this reason, conversations and collaborations like the ones at this conference are more important than ever."

Support for the conference came from IEEE PEDG 2013, the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, the University of Arkansas College of Engineering, Arkansas Power Electronics International, East, Eaton, Fuji Electric and Lien Chang.