The Project

PowerAlps aims to make significant advances in the field of power electronics, which is why we've decided not to focus on technologies that are already known and 'safe', but rather on the most promising elements in this field.

In terms of technological aspects, PowerAlps is looking at new Wide Bandgaps (WBG) and Ultra Wide Bandgaps (UWBG) materials for future semiconductor devices, which should create the conditions for exceptional performance in terms of voltage breakdown and losses. At the same time, research is also focusing on innovative packaging concepts to improve reliability and on new converter designs and functionalities for better grid services. The aim is to facilitate dialogue between the system level, which defines the mission profile of devices, and materials, which are the building blocks of power converters. Power electronic converters are the interfaces between system services and devices, which is why PowerAlps will facilitate a better understanding of these mutual challenges. This global vision, from the material to the system, is the only way to achieve the necessary breakthroughs in digital energy management services offered by power electronics.

Faced with the challenges of climate change and the ensuing climate crisis, technical progress must be assessed in terms of its impact on planetary boundaries. With the growing transition to electricity as a means of reducing carbon emissions, the need to manage electrical energy in a smarter, more efficient and more sustainable way has emerged: this must be done by considering the overall benefits in terms of resource savings and avoided rebound effect (load transfer to another category of environmental impact). In other words, the overall environmental cost of power electronics must be taken into account and balanced against its benefits. For the first time in the field of power electronics, PowerAlps will support a global eco-design approach using multiple indicators (and not just the usual CO2 equivalent emissions used to take account of climate change) to assess environmental impacts, corresponding to planetary limits. This ambition will require several dedicated research projects, in order to build specific device databases, study several technologies and numerous life cycle cases.

The exponential growth in markets and strategic applications, as well as the many technological advances, offer a unique opportunity to relocate production in France, but international competition is strong, particularly with China, which has launched a huge investment in power electronics as well as in the training of engineers, with new study programmes dedicated to this scientific field. The current move towards 'more electric' requires profound changes in the way the industry is currently organised, as well as changes in product design and engineering. The study of the needs of industry and education in terms of organisation and human resources is therefore becoming crucial in a competitive global environment.