Solid State Transformers Could Be Key To Smart Grid Functionality

There has been a lot of talk recently about “smart grids,” systems that would be able to react nearly instantaneously to fluctuations in demand and smooth the influx of energy from various sources, especially renewables like solar and wind power. Researchers at North Carolina State University have been using complex computational models to explore ways to make such a “smart grid” a reality. Their recommendation? Solid state transformers.