New Funding Opportunity Seeks Ways to Harness Medium-Voltage Electricity

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) recently announced $35 million available in funding for 12 projects aimed at identifying innovative new ways to harness medium-voltage electricity for applications in industry, transportation, on the grid and beyond. Eight of these projects will fall under ARPA-E’s Building Reliable Electronics to Achieve Kilovolt Effective Ratings Safely (BREAKERS) program, with the remaining four projects falling under the OPEN+ cohort, Kilovolt Devices.

“America’s energy landscape is constantly evolving, and as new ways to generate and distribute power gain popularity, it’s critical we develop the tools to maximize their utility,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “These ARPA‑E projects serve first and foremost to modernize how we move power around safely, reliably and efficiently, creating a new set of capabilities for tomorrow’s utilities and industry. ”

The BREAKERS program is devoted to developing new technologies for medium voltage direct current (MVDC) circuit breakers, applicable to markets including electrified transportation, MVDC grid distribution, renewable interconnections, and offshore oil, gas, and wind production. The OPEN+ cohort, Kilovolt Devices projects will focus on the challenges facing medium-volt power electronics, with notable focus on grid security and reliability.

To see the full list of BREAKERs projects, click here: https://bit.ly/2GEyaX3

To see a selection of OPEN+ Kilovolt Devices projects, click here: https://bit.ly/2GESJ5Q