Balog, Robert Professor

Dr. Balog is the Director of the Renewable Energy and Advanced Power Electronics Research laboratory and co-Director of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Collaborative Research Center of Next Generation Photovoltaics. The mission of his research group is to investigate the fundamental engineering and scientific basis of electrical energy conversion. While the core discipline is electrical engineering and the subject domain is power electronics, research into renewable energy systems require a much broader and holistic base of knowledge. As such, in addition to power electronic topologies and controls, we are focused on balance-of-systems issues. Ultimately, our goal is to move photovoltaic energy (aka solar energy) out of the alternative energy category and into the mainstream portfolio of energy resources in a way that is technologically and economically sustainable. Our vision is to be an internationally recognized center of excellence for research.