Power Electronics - November 2025
This compendium of articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense Technology magazines looks at the latest advances in power electronics and energy storage for applications ranging from the smart grid to electric vehicles to space systems.
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Overview
The "Power Electronics Special Report," published in November 2025, provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge developments and innovations in power electronics with a special focus on advancements in energy harvesting, energy storage, and smart grid technologies.
Key features include strategies on optimizing self-powered sensing, highlighting the need to balance size with performance through real-time algorithms and microcontroller-based controls. A notable innovation is the use of a magnetic energy harvester utilizing a split current transformer core that efficiently captures energy from power lines or conductors, offering larger energy yields and easy installation.
The report also delves into the future of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, emphasizing the critical role of load management systems to minimize the stress on distribution grids caused by widespread EV adoption. Effective EV charging management is recognized as vital to avoiding costly and time-consuming electrical infrastructure upgrades, supporting a smoother transition to electric transportation.
Flexible silicon photovoltaics emerge as a breakthrough technology in space-grade solar power, promising more affordable, reliable, and abundant energy sources for space applications as well as terrestrial use. This aligns with the broader theme of advancing solar power technologies to meet growing energy demands sustainably.
Technical briefs address materials and component innovations, including yarn-shaped supercapacitors optimized for length to enhance performance, solutions to improve battery longevity and performance by smoothing rough edges, and advancements in anode-free solid-state batteries that aim to surpass lithium-ion battery limitations. Additionally, the development of a DC-DC converter that integrates multiple power switches on a single chip marks a significant step towards miniaturization and increased efficiency.
The report highlights breakthroughs in all-solid-state lithium batteries using aluminum-based anodes paired with high-nickel cathodes to deliver high energy density and stability. It also reports progress in fast-charging, long-lasting, and flexible supercapacitors, expanding the potential for wearable and portable power storage systems.
Overall, this special report presents a forward-looking snapshot of power electronics innovations crucial for energy harvesting, storage, and management, underscoring their importance in enabling next-generation energy solutions, EV infrastructure, and sustainable solar power applications.
