About Dr. Regan Zane
Dr. Regan Zane
College of Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Regan.Zane@usu.edu
Regan Zane is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Founder and Director of the Center for Sustainable Electrified Transportation (SELECT) at Utah State University. He leads a wide range of research programs in power electronics for electric vehicle drivetrains and charging infrastructure, battery management systems, and dc and ac micro-grids including grid integration of renewable energy sources and energy storage. His programs maintain a strong emphasis on working with government and industry to develop and transition technologies into the marketplace.
Prof. Zane received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1999. Prior to joining USU, he was a faculty member at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado Power Electronics Center, CoPEC, 2001 to 2012, and research engineer at GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY, 1999 – 2001. He has co-authored over 120 publications and the textbook Digital Control of High-Frequency Switched-Mode Power Converters. He received the NSF Career Award in 2004, the 2005 IEEE Microwave Best Paper Prize, the 2007 and 2009 IEEE Power Electronics Society Transactions Prize Letter Awards and the 2008 IEEE Power Electronics Society Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award. He received the 2006 Inventor of the Year, 2006 Provost Faculty Achievement, 2008 John and Mercedes Peebles Innovation in Teaching, and the 2011 Holland Teaching Awards from the University of Colorado.
Electrification: Towards a Sustainable Future for our Transportation System
Imagine a future with all green air days and affordable transportation. Such a future will require new solutions for how things get around on roadways. Transportation today consumes over 28% of energy use, produces more than 50% of air pollution, and costs more than $1.5 trillion annually in the US. The transportation sector is the final frontier for achieving the economic and environmental benefits of electrification. Adoption of an electrified system offers the potential benefits of reducing total emissions and cost of ownership by more than half over existing internal combustion engine vehicles. Electrification also offers a shift away from dependence on oil to a highly flexible and reliable electric grid, leveraging a wide range of local energy resources including sources of renewable energy. However, the transition has many challenges, apparent in the fact that after more than a decade on the market, all alternative fuel vehicles combined account for less than 1% of vehicles on the road. This talk will discuss the technical challenges limiting market adoption of electric vehicles, particularly those related to range anxiety, and overview new technologies in development at Utah State University aimed at overcoming these challenges and transforming the future of transportation.