The international conference took place in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, with the participation of researchers, students, and professionals linked to power electronics and distributed generation systems. AC3E was among the organizing institutions and members of its scientific and professional community also took part in the event.

From June 21 to 24, the Valparaíso Region hosted the 17th IEEE International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems, PEDG 2026, an international conference focused on power electronics and its role in distributed generation systems.

This edition was especially significant for the country, as it marked the first time PEDG was held in Chile. The conference brought together more than 150 attendees from different countries, who shared advances, experiences, and challenges related to distributed generation, energy storage, sustainable energy sources, and the development of smarter and decarbonized power grids.

The program included keynote presentations, panel discussions, tutorials, and technical sessions focused on the theory, analysis, design, and deployment of power electronics for distributed generation systems.

Among the keynote speakers were Thierry Meynard, from Université de Toulouse, France; Pedro Rodríguez, from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg; Pavol Bauer, from TU Delft, the Netherlands; Petar Grbović, from the University of Innsbruck, Austria; Ruben Inzunza, from TMEIC Corporation, Japan; and Jinjun Liu, from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China.

“Power electronics is a technology at the center of enabling the solutions that will allow us to build smarter and decarbonized power grids,” said Samir Kouro, investigator at AC3E, during the event.

PEDG 2026 was organized by the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering, AC3E; the IEEE Power Electronics Society Technical Committee on Sustainable Energy Systems; Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María; Universidad San Sebastián; the Solar Energy Research Center, SERC Chile; the Center for Energy Transformation at Universidad Andrés Bello; and Universidad Austral. The conference was also sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society.

From AC3E, the organization of the conference included the participation of researchers Samir Kouro and José Rodríguez, together with Carolina Iturriaga, Head of the Operations and Finance Unit. In addition, members of the AC3E community, including Margarita Norambuena, Marcelo Pérez, and Christian Rojas, participated in different activities throughout the event.

The conference also featured institutional exhibition spaces, with stands from SERC Chile, RHONA, the Municipality of Viña del Mar, and AC3E. These spaces allowed attendees to learn more about different initiatives, capabilities, and developments related to energy, technology, and innovation.

Women in Engineering: career paths and women’s leadership in STEM

As part of PEDG 2026, a Women in Engineering USM activity was held on June 23, bringing together three outstanding women engineers and leaders with experience in science, technology, and energy.

The session featured Fernanda Carnielutti, from Brazil, PhD in Electrical Engineering and researcher specialized in power electronics, microgrids, and predictive control; Vinka Hildebrand, from Chile, an executive leader with extensive experience in change management, sustainability, and innovation in the technology, energy, and mining sectors; and Elena Villanueva, from Chile, a specialist in energy transition and public policy, promoting solar and hybrid solutions with international impact.

The activity was an opportunity to learn about their career paths, hear from their experiences, and discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by women in STEM and in the technology industry.

“As part of PEDG 2026, AC3E supported the Women in Engineering activity by providing scholarships that allowed students to participate in the conference and access a space for dialogue with outstanding women leaders from academia and industry. Beyond the financial support, this initiative sought to bring new generations closer to real experiences of leadership, research, and innovation, showing that there are multiple paths for professional development in engineering and helping to strengthen a more diverse and inclusive community,” said Margarita Norambuena, AC3E researcher.

The organization of PEDG 2026 in Chile helped strengthen scientific exchange and international collaboration in a key area for the energy transition. For AC3E, being part of this conference was also an opportunity to contribute from its experience to the development of technologies that enable more sustainable, intelligent, and decarbonized power systems.