Generating and Harnessing Renewable Energy

Worldwide, electricity demands exceed 22,000 terawatt-hours (1 billion kilowatt-hours), and is growing continuously, putting tremendous pressure on governments to build new centralized power plants that rely on expensive transmission and distribution lines. Meanwhile, power generation is already responsible for more than 30,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. 

In order to reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and the cost of building new power infrastructure, governments worldwide are trying to produce more electricity from renewable energy sources and build new, decentralized smart-power infrastructures known as “microgrids.”

Smart microgrids are the focus of research by Dr. Praveen Jain, Canada Research Chair in Power Electronics. Over the next seven years, Jain and his research team will be developing a prototype smart microgrid platform: a flexible, adaptive grid that will incorporate practical power electronics, real-time energy generation, distribution, storage, and consumption to support the development of next-generation smart-grid technology systems that will help meet industry standards and greenhouse gas emission goals.

Jain’s emphasis is on developing autonomous control methods and novel power electronics technology that integrate all the requirements of a reliable smart grid at the component level. In particular, Jain and his team will develop new control techniques, power electronics converters, and architectures for renewable electricity generation, electric cars, and energy storage. Their work will help countries around the world meet their power needs in a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly way.