IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2019 - 4

From the Editor

by Ashok Bindra

Developing Control Techniques
for Microgrids

ith the emergence of
renewable energy sources, microgrids have been
playing a crucial role in improving
the resiliency of the conventional
grid while enabling rural electrification and energy access to remote
areas. In the last five years or so, we
have seen a rapid rise in the deployment of microgrids in a variety of
sectors around the world. Navigant
Research data show that microgrid
capacity will increase from approximately 5,000 MW in 2018 to 33 GW
by the end of 2027.
Concurrently, the technology has
continued to evolve, resulting in three
different configurations: ac, dc and
hybrid ac/dc microgrids. Although the
common microgrid configuration is
ac, interest in dc-based microgrids is
growing for several reasons, such as
having no reactive power, needing no
synchronization, and an increase in
the number of dc devices. Likewise,
the hybrid ac/dc microgrid combines
the best of the two configurations for
applications for which both ac and dc
sources are available.
However, developing a proper
control and management system for
microgrids is not an easy task. Each
configuration offers its own challenges for ensuring a reliable system
and efficient operation. In this issue's

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2019.2904636
Date of publication: 18 June 2019

IEEE POWER ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE

suggest that deep physical analysis
cover feature article, "AC Microgrid
of the silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET
Control and Management Strategies,"
structures and maAmira Mohammed,
terials can be used
Shady S. Refa at,
to gain insights into
Sertac Bayhan, and
In the last five years
their intrinsic propHaitham Abu-Rub
or so, we have seen a
erties and possible
describe the hierrapid rise in the
l i m it at ion s. T h is
a rch ica l cont rol
article presents the
architecture as an
deployment of
evolution and scaleffective solution.
microgrids in a variety
ing trend of the SiC
The article shows
of sectors around
MOSFET, hinting an
that the hierarchical
the world.
expected 0.7-times
control scheme is direduction of tranvided into three consistor cell size and
trol levels, primary,
specific ON resistance (RONxA) every
secondary, and tertiary, which are employed to provide a coordination stratthree years.
egy for distributed energy sources.
The last feature article, "APEC
Although the adoption of wideTalks Reliability and Production of
bandgap (WBG) power devices is on
WBG Devices," by yours truly and
the rise in power-conversion appliTom Keim, looks at the latest develcations for reasons including faster
opments in WBG power devices, conswitching and lower losses, among
troller ICs, components, packaging,
others, the nanosecond edge rates
transportation electrification, renewcan cause electromagnetic interferable energy, and more presented at the
ence (EMI) problems. The second
34th IEEE Applied Power Electronics
article, "Electromagnetic Interference
Conference and Exposition (APEC) in
Mitigation in Wide-Bandgap Power
Anaheim, California.
Conversion," by Anup Bhalla, shows
how to tackle EMI problems in WBGColumns and News
based designs and proposes special
The "Passive Components" column
precautions to ensure trouble-free
presents the latest advances in a varioperation and compliance with interety of passive components, such as canational emissions standards.
pacitors, inductors, and resistors,
In their article, "The Current Starevealed at APEC 2019. The "Women
tus and Trends of 1,200-V Commercial
in Engineering" column presents a
Silicon-Carbide MOSFETs," Alberto
breakfast talk, "Power Electronics: A
O. Ada n, Daisuke Ta naka, La jos
Destination Where Few Women Have
(Louis) Burgyan, and Yuji Kakizaki
Gone Before," given by Prof. Keyue

z June 2019

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2019