High efficiency power conversion for DC buildings, telecom and IT infrastructure

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The recent adoption of direct current (DC) powered equipment (computers, telecoms, data centers, consumer electronics) has increased global electricity consumption by 27% over the past decade. Since power converters (AC/DC and DC/DC) are required to supply DC equipment, their conversion efficiency plays a critical role in saving energy and reducing carbon emission from generation plants. This is extremely important in emerging DC buildings and the rapidly expanding telecom/IT infrastructure, where the majority of the DC power is consumed and must be supplied in a cost effective and efficient manner.****The objective of the collaboration between Dr. Ordonez at UBC and Alpha Technologies is to develop high efficiency power conversion technology to support DC infrastructure in order to consolidate and improve power conversion on large-scale, modular applications. Alpha Technologies Ltd., one of the top high-tech employers in BC, is a leading company in powering solutions integration for communication, medical and industrial environments.****This R&D project combines novel power devices (Gallium nitride), advanced soft-switching topologies, and control architectures with complex analysis and simulation techniques in order to reduce the size, improve efficiency, and cut power losses of DC powering systems by 40%. With the incorporation of novel technology, the expanding Telecom, IT infrastructure, and emerging DC buildings will substantially benefit from reduced energy consumption and costs. The project aligns with the government of Canada's initiatives to promote energy efficiency and clean energy technology.