August 14-15, 2024
Embassy Suites Knoxville West
Knoxville, TN

The annual Power Electronics Accelerator Consortium for Electrification (PACE) meeting was held August 14-15 in Knoxville, Tennessee. PACE is a coalition of partner research institutions, utilities, and industry manufacturers working to take innovative research in power electronics to grid-level pilot demonstrations and use in the field.
The coalition provides a framework to incubate ideas and provide hardware and software services to take the idea to fruition, then provide a platform to transition the technology to field demonstration. A variety of pathways are available for partnership opportunities, including basic research and development programs, tech collaborations, and industry-led projects.
Meeting U.S. goals of shifting to a carbon-neutral, domestic energy power sector by 2050 will require modernizing grid architecture and system management. This means an expanded role for power electronics, which provide improved reliability, automation, and intelligence compared to mechanical systems.
At this in-person event, industry stakeholders and meeting participants engaged in dialogue, exchanged ideas, and built connections.
Agenda
August 14
Speaker
Robert Wagner, Associate Lab Director, Energy Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Speaker
Alex Hoffman, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, The Beneficial Electrification League
Slide
Speaker
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Slide
Speakers
Moderator: Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Andre Pereira, Program Manager, TRAC, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy
Eric Miller, Chief Scientist, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
Kerry Cheung, Director, Applied Grid Transformation, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy
Slides
Speaker
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Slide
Speaker
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Speakers
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Jacob Mueller, Electrical Engineer, Sandia National Laboratories
Prasad Kandula, Research Staff Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Gab-Su Seo, Senior Electrical Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Jay Sawant, Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Rohit Jinsiwale, Power Systems Research Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Slides
Speakers
Helen Li - Florida State University
Yue Zhao, Associate Professor, University of Arkansas
Rolando Burgos, Professor, Virgina Polytechnic
Dragan Maksimovic, Professor, University of Colorado
Brian Johnson, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Slides
August 15
Speaker
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Speakers
Mathew Stinnet, Manager, Electric Systems Engineering, Knoxville Utilities Board
Eric Motto, Chief Engineer, Power Devices, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc.
Sudipta Chakraborty, Global Technology Manager for Energy Systems Technologies, Eaton
Bogdan Borowy, Senior Chief Engineer, Eaton
Slides
Speakers
Jason Autrey, Research Engineer, Southern Company
Jim Glass, Manager, Smart Grid Development, EPB
Patrick Hanley, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Viridi Parente Inc
Slides
Speaker
Madhu Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Contact Us
For additional questions, please contact Andre Pereira at andre.pereira@hq.doe.gov.