Keynote Speeches
Prof. Josep M. Guerrero
Huanjiang Laboratory, China Aalborg University, Denmark
Topic
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Abstract
TBD
Bio
Josep M. Guerrero (S’01-M’04-SM’08-FM’15) received the B.Sc. degree in telecom engineering, M.Sc. degree in electronics engineering, and PhD degree from the Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain. Since 2011, he has been a Full Professor with AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark, where he is responsible for the Microgrid Research Program. From 2019, he became a Villum Investigator by the Villum Fonden, which supports the Center for Research on Microgrids (CROM) at Aalborg University, being Prof. Guerrero the founder and Director of the same center (www.crom.energy.aau.dk). In 2020, he initiated neuroscience studies and research. As a result, in 2022 he received the M.Sc. degree in Psychobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the Institute of Neuroscience (INc) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and in 2023 he received the M.Sc. degree in Sleep: Physiology and Medicine at the University of Murcia, Spain. From 2023 to 2024 he was with the Technical University of Catalonia as an ICREA Research Professor. In 2023 he joined Huanjiang Laboratory, Zhejiang University, as a director of the CROM, Zhuji, Shaoxing, China. In 2025 he became a Distinguished Senior Researcher at the department of electrical engineering, University of Valladolid, Spain. His research interests are oriented to different microgrid frameworks like energy microgrids, hydrogen and biomass, water micronets, biological systems, seaport microgrids and electrical ships, airport microgrids and more electrical aircraft, space microgrids and smart medical systems. In these fields, he has researched distributed and cyber-physical energy systems, cybersecurity for microgrids and smart grids, neuroscience-inspired artificial intelligence for energy systems, machine learning and applications using signal processing, bioinformatics, bio-inspired computing, and quantum computing and quantum communication for complex energy networks. Prof. Guerrero is an Associate Editor for several IEEE TRANSACTIONS. He has published more than 1,000 journal papers in the fields of microgrids and renewable energy systems, which are cited more than 120,000 times. During nine consecutive years, from 2014 to 2023, he was awarded by Clarivate Analytics as Highly Cited Researcher. From 2020 to 2024 he was listed in the world’s top 2% scientist by Standford/Elsevier. In 2021, he received the IEEE Bimal Bose Award for Industrial Electronics Applications in Energy Systems, for his pioneering contributions to renewable energy based microgrids. In 2022, he received the IEEE PES Douglas M. Staszesky Distribution Automation Award, for contributions to making the hierarchical control of microgrid systems a practical reality. In 2023, he was the IEEE Modeling and Control Technical Achievement Award recipient for contributions to modelling and control of power electronics based microgrids. In 2024 he received the CSEE Journal of Power and Energy Systems Excellent Paper Award. In 2025, he has received the Zhejiang Foreign Expert West Lake Friendship Award, the highest honor that can bestow upon a foreign national, for his outstanding contributions to the economic and social development of Zhejiang Province.
Prof. Rajendra Singh
Clemson University, USA
Topic
Transformative Role of Direct Current Power Networks in Saving Humanity from Climate Emergency
Abstract
Climate related adverse effects are creating havoc on the economy and quality of life of almost every human on the planet earth. As we are entering in the second quarter of 21st century, two major facts are emerging in the area of energy. The first and most important fact is that saving humanity from climate emergency requires bold decisions to set a deadline to move away from fossil fuel and adopt free fuel solar and wind as source of sustainable green energy. The second important fact is that the Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing major challenges for powering AI data centers by green electricity. Currently fossil fuels are source of 87 % human needs of energy Getting rid of fossil fuel as early as possible and electrifying everything by green sustainable electric power is the only answer to tackle climate emergency. Other than current use of green electricity, all applications of thermal energy must be replaced by green electricity. Solar electricity generated by photovoltaics (PV) has reached to the point that PV is now the cheapest source of electric power generation. On shore wind, electricity is as cheap as solar electricity and off shore wind; electricity has issues of higher cost than on shore wind electricity. The cost of batteries is coming down every day and the combination of PV and batteries at utility scale can provide lower cost than electrical power generated by fossil fuel in most parts of the world. It remains to be seen if the cost of green hydrogen can be brought down significantly or it will remain a future source of energy. Thus, today we have nearly a solution of sustainable green electrical power generation and storage. Globally AC electric power infrastructure has been adopted over DC power due to invention of transformer. However, due to power electronics the situation is very different today. Except for induction motors running on 100 % speed, all loads using variable frequency device (VFD) are DC loads. Both PV and batteries are based on DC power and virtually all loads are DC loads. Considering power generation, transmission, distribution and utilization, as a single entity, we are wasting a large amount of power using our AC power electricity infrastructure. By using end-to-end DC (EEDC) power networks, we will save energy and capital investment of electricity infrastructure as well as of DC loads as compared to the existing AC power infrastructure. For low voltage DC (LVDC) power (1-2,000 V) there is no major issue and local DC power can be used for data centers, EV charging and many other applications. The bottleneck challenge in achieving the goal of end-to-end DC (EEDC) power networks for all applications is the lack of bi-directional solid state based LVDC to MVDC and MVDC to HVDC converters with protection circuits. The purpose of this talk is to provide pathway that includes technical, economical and policy details to expedite green energy transition by using EEDC electricity infrastructure.
Bio
Rajendra Singh is Houser Banks Distinguish professor in the Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Automotive Engineering at Clemson University (CU). Motivated by the statement of Thomas Edison about solar Energy, during the energy crisis of 1973 he decided to do Ph.D. dissertation in the area of Silicon Solar Cells. In the last 50 years, he has contributed and witnessed the growth of photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. With proven success in operations, project/program leadership, R&D, product/process commercialization, and start-ups, Dr. Singh is a leading technologist with the focused goal of mitigation of climate related challenges by providing sustainable green electric power. He is author or co-author of over 500 publications in various journals and conference proceedings. He is editor or coeditor of more than fifteen books and conference proceedings. He has presented over 60 keynote addresses and invited talks in various national and international conferences. He is founding technical chair of IEEE International conference on DC Microgrid (ICDCM). In 7th ICDCM, he delivered keynote address,” Why and How Direct Current Power Networks will Dominate Global Green Electricity Infrastructure”. Dr. Singh holds six patents. Technology developed in his lab has been licensed to industry for commercialization. Currently he is serving as Chair of IEEE Power and Energy Society Working Group on End-to-End DC power. He is fellow of IEEE, SPIE, ASM and AAAS. Dr. Singh has received a number of national and international awards. In 2010, Photovoltaics World selected him as one of the ten Global Champions of photovoltaics. He is recipient of the SPIE 2014 Technology Achievement award in recognition of his efforts in the elucidation and exploitation of photonic effects in rapid thermal processing for semiconductor manufacturing, and his technical leadership of photovoltaic technology. In 2014, he was honored by US President Barack Obama as a White House “Champion of Change for Solar Deployment” for his leadership in advancing solar energy with photovoltaics technology. In 2019, he received Hind Rattan (Jewel of India) Award presented by Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. He served as the Chief Guest and delivered the convocation address at the 27th Convocation of IIT Guwahati, India, which was held on July 13, 2025.
Prof. Rong Zeng
Tsinghua University, China
Topic
TBD
Abstract
TBD
Bio
Rong Zeng, Professor and Executive Vice President of Tsinghua University, recipient of the National Outstanding Youth Fund, Changjiang Scholar, National Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talent, CSEE Fellow, CES Fellow. He is mainly engaged in teaching and research on power electronic devices and key equipment of DC grid, electromagnetic transients and its protection in AC/DC power system. He has led multiple scientific research projects, including the National Key R&D Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has been granted more than 100 invention patents and published over 300 papers. He has co-founded the English journal High Voltage, and served as the deputy editor in chief. He has won one second prize of the National Technology Invention Award, two second prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, IET 2021 E&T Innovation Awards, IEEE EMC Technical Achievement Award, China Electric Power Science and Technology Outstanding Contribution Award, Capital Labor Medal, etc.
Prof. Li Qi
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Topic
TBD
Abstract
TBD
Bio
Prof. Li Qi received her Bachelor degree from Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), in 1994, and Master degree from Zhejiang University (ZJU) in 1997. Prof. Qi received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, College Station, USA, in 2004. All in Electrical Engineering. From 2004 to 2009, Prof. Qi was a research faculty at Florida State University, USA. In 2009, Prof. Qi joined ABB Research Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. From 2017 to 2024, she was a Senior Principal Scientist at ABB. As an industrial researcher, Prof. Qi worked on various types of AC and DC commercial and industrial systems, DC distribution protection, and integration of renewables. In April 2024, Prof. Qi joined XJTU as a professor in School of Electrical Engineering. Prof. Qi was elevated to Fellow of IEEE in 2024 for her contributions to DC distribution protection and architectures of DC shipboard power systems. Prof. Qi is the Co-Chair of technical committee of 2021 and 2024 IEEE International Conferences on DC Microgrid (ICDCM). Prof. Qi is the general chair of 2026 ICDCM. She has been associate editors for several IEEE Journals, including IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. Prof. Qi has 21 granted international patents and published more than 80 journal and conference papers.