Prof. Liuchen Chang received B.S.E.E. from Northern Jiaotong University in 1982, M.Sc. from China Academy of Railway Sciences in 1984, and Ph.D. from Queen’ University in 1991. He joined the University of New Brunswick in 1992 and is a Professor Emeritus at UNB. He was the NSERC Chair in Environmental Design Engineering during 2001-2007, and the Principal Investigator of Canadian Wind Energy Strategic Network during 2008-2014. He is a long-time volunteer for IEEE of 30 years and was the President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society (2021-2022).

Dr. Chang was a recipient of CanWEA Templin Award for his contributions in the development of wind energy technologies, Innovation Award for Excellence in Applied Research in New Brunswick for his contributions in smart grid and renewable energy technologies, and PELS Sustainable Energy Systems Technical Achievement Award for his contributions in distributed energy systems. He is a fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering. He has published more than 400 refereed papers in journals and conference proceedings. Dr. Chang has focused on research, development, demonstration and deployment of distributed energy systems.

Topic of the Speech:Distributed Energy Resources and Power Electronics

Abstract: The penetration level of distributed energy resources (DERs) in electrical grids has been increasing steadily. These DER systems are generally small units connected in power distribution systems as compared to traditional large generation facilities in bulk electrical systems. While the integration of these DER units in electric grids has brought significant challenges for grid operation, the tremendous potential of DERs in supporting power systems with flexible resources has not been fully explored by utilities. This presents significant opportunities for advancement in technologies for DER management and controls, enabled by power electronics. Power electronic technologies are critical to system integration, performance enhancement and grid operation support involving DER systems. This presentation focuses on the recent advancements in power converters and controls applicable to distributed energy resources. An overview of the changes in interconnection standards over the past 25 years reveals the progress of requirements for DERs. The pursuit for performance and functionality has driven the advances in power converter technologies, including components, topologies, controls, and system support functions. Part of the presentation is based on the extensive review of the state-of-the-arts technologies conducted by the IEEE International Technology Roadmap of Power Electronics for Distributed Energy Resources (ITRD).