Power Electronics Applications for Energy Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Power electronics plays a critical role in modern energy systems by enabling the efficient conversion, control, and conditioning of electrical power. It serves as an essential interface between power sources (such as renewables, grids, and batteries) and various loads (industrial, commercial, and residential), ensuring that energy is delivered with the appropriate voltage, current, and frequency characteristics. In the context of renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, smart grids, and energy storage systems, power electronics technologies are key enablers. They provide increased system flexibility, enhanced energy efficiency, and improved reliability. Applications span a wide range, from solar and wind power conversion to motor drives, uninterruptible power supplies, and grid-interfacing technologies. As energy systems evolve toward decentralization and decarbonization, the importance of power electronics continues to expand, driving advancements in semiconductor devices, converter topologies, and control strategies.

The growing adoption of wide-bandgap (WBG) and ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors—such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)—is accelerating innovation in power electronics. These materials offer superior performance compared to traditional silicon, including higher-voltage operation, faster switching speeds, and lower losses, leading to more compact, efficient, and robust power conversion systems. Looking ahead, ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors—including materials like gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and diamond—hold significant promise for the next generation of power electronic devices. These materials offer even greater critical electric fields and thermal conductivity, paving the way for ultra-high-voltage, high-frequency, and high-temperature applications in extreme environments and advanced energy systems.

We invite researchers and practitioners to contribute original research articles and reviews to this upcoming Special Issue, "Power Electronics Applications for Energy Systems", in the journal Energies, which will showcase the latest advances in emerging power electronics topics such as silicon-based wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor devices and systems, together with innovative solutions driving the future of energy conversion, control, and integration.

Topics of Interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Power converter topologies and control for renewables:
  • Design, modeling, and control of power electronic converters (DC-DC, DC-AC, multilevel inverters, etc.) tailored for solar PV, wind, and hybrid renewable systems.
  • Maximum power-point tracking (MPPT), grid synchronization, and fault-tolerant control strategies.
• Grid integration and interfacing technologies:
  • Power quality, synchronization, and stability of renewable sources when interfacing with the utility grid.
  • Standards-compliant grid-tied inverters, reactive power control, and islanding detection.
• Efficiency, reliability, and emerging semiconductor materials:
  • Condition monitoring, fault-tolerant design, thermal modeling and cooling techniques.
  • Advanced packaging, thermal management, and lifetime prediction for renewable power electronics.
• Wide-bandgap semiconductors:
  • Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices.
  • Ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) Ga₂O₃.
  • UWBG nitrides and diamond recent developments.
  • WBG and UWBG high-power and high-frequency modules and systems.
• Energy storage systems:
  • Battery management systems.
  • Bidirectional converters.
  • Flywheel and supercapacitor integration.
• Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure:
  • On-board and off-board chargers.
  • DC–DC converters.
  • Vehicle-to-grid interfaces.

Dr. Amador Pérez Tomás
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.