Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) marks its 10th cohort with an all-demonstration group, where startups, including CorePower Magnetics, demonstrate their technologies over the next year or two. The IN2 program provides real-world opportunities and technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), aiding startups in de-risking customer acquisition.
NREL research engineer Omar Jose Guerra Fernandez emphasizes the urgency to deploy technologies ready today, addressing the time factor. Fernandez is involved in analyzing CorePower Magnetics' solid-state transformer technology, crucial for electric vehicle (EV) and power grid support. CorePower focuses on high-performance components for EV applications, especially in urban spaces, envisioning contributions to grid benefits.
CEO Sam Kernion highlights CorePower's capability to offer solutions for transformers and inductors, specializing in cutting-edge applications like EV charging. CorePower collaborates with Eaton to test a transformer for mass EV charging, emphasizing efficiency in managing high power. NREL's techno-economic analysis and equipment testing provide invaluable feedback, aiding CorePower's journey from laboratory to market-ready products.
Fernandez stresses the significance of demonstrations in validating technology's stability and real-life functionality. CorePower, already serving U.S. Navy and Air Force supply chains, recently secured a $20 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy for a domestic manufacturing facility, contributing to potential new efficiency standards for distribution transformers.
Explore how CorePower's partnership with NREL and participation in the IN2 program exemplify a commitment to advancing clean energy technologies and revolutionizing the EV charging landscape.
Source: nrel.gov