UA researcher tackles solar power
Federally funded project seeks to reduce cost of converting it to electricity
FAYETTEVILLE — Driving down the costs of solar power is the goal for Yue Zhao, a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville assistant professor receiving up to $2.7 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Zhao is working to develop technology able to more efficiently transfer the power produced by solar energy power plants to the electrical grid that serves homes and businesses.
“We want to have significant influence,” said Zhao, describing how he aims to build a working prototype for a cutting-edge power inverter that can then be used by industry.
For Zhao, 29, the funding is a big milestone early in his career after joining UA in 2015. His work with engineering applications for silicon carbide has also been recognized by the National Science Foundation, which this year awarded him a $500,000 early career grant.
“Of course, it feels pretty good,” Zhao said, adding that it “was a big shock” to learn his project had been selected to receive the U.S. Department of Energy funding.
The funding is part of up to $20 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding announced in April to support new solar power electronics technology projects around the country.
“About 2 percent of our
nation’s electricity comes from solar plants today,” said Becca Jones-Albertus, deputy director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Jones-Albertus said the department’s goal is not necessarily to boost that percentage.
“The department doesn’t choose between energy sources. It wants to advance all energy sources,” Jones-Albertus said.
The goal is to make solar energy “more affordable and reliable,” Jones-Albertus said.
Solar energy devices create a form of electricity known as direct current, which needs to be changed to alternating current for use on the electrical grid, Jones-Albertus said.
“Silicon carbide is kind of a next-generation material for use in power electronics devices,” Jones-Albertus said. It could replace silicon-based power inverter technology and reduce power losses, she said.
Zhao said the material helps to boost what’s known as the power density, which can also shrink the size of components.
Jones-Albertus said UA has become known for its work in power electronics, including serving as a home for the National Science Foundation Center for Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems, frequently referred to as GRAPES.
Zhao said there are now 14 faculty members at UA who work on power electronics, calling it a “great team.”
Zhao earned a bachelor’s degree from Beijing University in China, then in 2014 earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
The recently announced federal awards, for nine different projects, take the form of cooperative agreements rather than grants.
Zhao explained that every year, his project will be reviewed to determine whether it will continue with federal funding. He said the project involves working with a company known as Wolfspeed that has a Fayetteville location in the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, among other partners.
He said a goal is to reduce the cost of inverter equipment for solar applications by 50 percent.
“For this project, we expect it to have a huge impact to the solar industry,” Zhao said. By cutting costs, solar energy would be “more competitive compared to the other forms of electricity generation,” he said.