The rising demand for clean energy and the dramatic continuous increase in fossil energy prices have made it mandatory to search for alternative energy solutions that are more efficient and environmentally friendly. Power electronic converters are expected to play a major role in the conversion of alternative energy sources and interfacing them with the power grid or any stand alone loads. Therefore, new and highly efficient power electronic technologies in conjunction with appropriate control strategies are still needed to reduce massive waste of energy and to improve the grid power quality.

Power electronics have found widespread applications in renewable energy and in industries. They are used in the oil and gas and petrochemical industry, in the cement industry, in water pumping stations, in traction applications, utility systems, and many other areas. Hence, the installation of properly controlled high power drives can significantly reduce energy losses, the total drive costs, and improve power quality.

Photovoltaic, thermal solar, and Fuel Cells are important energy sources for Qatar. Wind power is an auxiliary energy source that could be used to compensate for the absence of PV power. Having a high potential of solar energy and a reasonable amount of wind, Qatar should invest in developing and utilizing green solar and wind energy renewable power plants. Qatar and other regional countries are blessed with an abundant amount of solar radiation (nearly 2500 kWh/m2) that makes solar power plant a reality. The observations have shown that a typical wind turbine will operate about 75% of the time throughout the year on-shore and 80% off-shore in Qatar. This result indicates the suitability and benefit of utilizing small to medium-sized wind turbine generators in Qatar. By integrating these renewable energy sources with proper electric energy storage, a reliable and efficient hybrid renewable electric power plant can be obtained.

The 2011 workshop in Qatar focuses on the application of power electronics in renewable energy sources and related applications. The workshop is planned to further explore the viability of the power electronic technologies that are used in all clean energy applications. The workshop is aimed at bringing the academia and technocrats in one platform and to discuss the possible solutions of using power electronic converters for Qatar environment.