| Abstract |
Currently, electric power systems start to shift toward more environment friendly energy productions to limit the climate change and reduce pollutions. The major focus is the variability of the new energy sources, and reliability of the supply. The challenge for the future electric power grids is how to integrate a widespread addition of renewable sources with intermittent nature in both transmission and distribution grids without compromising reliability, stability and cost of the service to the consumers. A system that can handle a generation mix with a high percentage of renewables will become a necessity which requires solutions as increased transmission capacity through AC and DC solutions, and/or a larger energy storage capacity in the grids. Grid-connected converter technologies have had a truly revolutionary impact on the way that electricalenergy is delivered to consumers all over the world, and has become an indispensable part of the electric power systems today. It is anticipated that by 2030 all electric power generated utilizes power electronics somewhere between the point of generation and its end. Power electronics contribute in many ways to more efficient use of energy, which allows for energy savings, which in turn leads to reduced environmental impact. The R&D in this field aims at optimizing complex decisions and solutions that are required for the design of these power electronic converters to deliver innovation for the future conversion, processing, transmission, distribution as well as storage of energy across a wide range of applications.This presentation will start with an overview of the main drivers for the future grids. Then the historical, the present and the future power grid will be discussed including the developments of power electronics in grid-connected applications such as HVDC and FACTS together with more futuristic applications. Moreover, the key design parameters of power electronics and its functionalities will be described in the context of megatrends and grand challenges of the electric power system evolution. Finally, the current state of the art and topics for the future research will be presented. |
