The Queen’s Centre for Energy and Power Electronics Research (ePOWER) was established in 2008 to foster academic and industrial collaboration on a broad range of energy and power electronics research from power transmission to alternative energy (including fuel cells, solar power and wind power) to power consumption (e.g. communications and computer power systems) to power application-specific integrated circuits.
Fundamental and applied research conducted at ePOWER is resulting in the development of new energy efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly power electronic technologies. With growing energy demand, shortage of traditional energy sources and increasingly rigorous environmental standards, energy costs are growing, threatening living standards. Power electronics is playing a significant role in conserving energy and protecting the environment. Recent years have seen dramatic advances in power electronics technology, with innovations in power semiconductor devices, converter topologies, power management techniques, machine drives, analytical and simulation techniques, application-specific integrated circuit chips, and advanced control methods.
ePOWER Faculty successfully transfer technology to Canadian industry and have
- established two new company start-ups, CHiL Semiconductor and SPARQ Systems
- trained more than 150 undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows
- developed over 60 inventions and their applications in 20 major engineering designs in induction heating, telecommunications, computer, PV, lighting and space industries
- published well over 1,000 journal and conference articles (332 journal and 749 conference papers) and over 200 patents and patents pending