IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - September 2019 - 70

by Keiichi Hirose

ICDCM 2019 Was a Big Success
in Matsue, Japan

ponsored by the IEEE Power
Electronics Society (PELS),
the third IEEE International
Conference on DC Microgrids
(ICDCM 2019) was held for four days
from 20 to 23 May 2019, in Matsue,
Japan. It offered 126 technical papers
and attracted approximately 270 participants from 30 countries. This
year's papers and attendees were far
more numerous than the past two
conferences. In addition to this significant increase, ICDCM 2019 provided an opportunity for exchanging
opinions and ideas on the latest dc
technology trends as well as exploring wide-ranging dc applications
from both academic and industrial
perspectives. ICDCM 2019 was a big
success (Figure 1).
Offering high-quality discussions,
ICDCM 2019 contributed to creating
a new community of people interested in areas where dc technology
can play an important role, such as
electric power grids, transportation,
communications, data centers, and
independent power supply systems
in developing countries. The community sought solutions to issues that are
arising from the mass introduction of
renewable energy, storage batteries,
and electric vehicles; examined business opportunities from global perspectives; and shared valuable and
timely information on dc technology.
Summaries of each of the four days of
the conference follow.

the other discussed dc technology for
stored energy and storage batteries.
During the tutorials, five outstanding
lectures were delivered. From the very
beginning, there was a large audience
in attendance (approximately 100 people) and active discussion and question and answer sessions. The next
workshop demonstrated the hardwarein-the-loop (HIL) simulation method.
The IEEE is currently working in this
area, with a focus on its applications.
Three experts shared the latest information on HIL and were followed by a
panel discussion that examined blockchain with a dc interface, such as distributed energy resources and storage
batteries. Enthusiastic discussions
were held among the panelists and the
audience, even after the scheduled
end of the session. In the evening, a
reception was held where the participants enjoyed further discussions,
socialized, and experienced a traditional Matsue art performance. For
the first time, exhibition booths were
set up by companies and organiza-

tions working on dc technology applications to share latest information on
the technology and their efforts. Since
those booths were placed within the
reception venue and the coffee breaks
areas were in the same space, networking among the participants was
naturally improved.

Day 2: 21 May
The second day began with opening
remarks from Prof. Frede Blaabjerg,
PELS president, and representatives
from each of the three technical
cosponsors, the Institute of Electrical
Engineers of Japan, the Institute of
Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineers, and the Institute of
Electrical Installation Engineers Japan,
introduced the efforts and activities of
their respective organization.
The opening session was followed
by two keynote speeches
1) a commercial dc microgrid data
center that had kept performing
during a massive power blackout
in Hokkaido in 2018

Day 1: 20 May
The first day of ICDCM 2019 included
tutorials, workshops, and a panel discussion. The tutorials consisted of two
parts: one focused on grid control, and
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2019.2925941
Date of publication: 6 September 2019

IEEE POWER ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE

FIG 1 ICDCM 2019 attendees. (Source: ICDCM 2019.)

z September 2019

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - September 2019

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