Fang Zheng Peng is the recipient of the 2026 IEEE Medal in Power Engineering
Prof. Fang Zheng Peng is the recipient of the 2026 IEEE Medal in Power Engineering “for contributions to Z-Source and modular multi-level converters for distribution and transmission networks.”
Professor Peng of the University of Pittsburgh pioneered power-conversion technologies that help control and stabilize electricity on the grid, supporting more reliable power systems and enabling the integration of renewable energy. His work on multilevel converter architectures and grid-support technologies is now widely used to regulate voltage and strengthen power grids worldwide. He also invented the Z-source inverter, a breakthrough power-conversion system now used in renewable energy installations and microgrids.
The IEEE Medal in Power Engineering, sponsored by IEEE Industry Applications Society, IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES), IEEE Power Electronics Society, and IEEE Power & Energy Society, recognizes outstanding contributions to electric power engineering and technology for the benefit of society.
Congratulations, Professor Peng!
Professor Fang Zhang Peng, University of Pittsburgh, USA
“For contributions to Z-Source and modular multi-level converters for distribution and transmission networks.”
A pioneering architect of utility-scale power electronics, Fang Zheng Peng is internationally recognized for his transformative contributions that have reshaped modern power grids. Peng’s early introduction of active/virtual resistance in the 1980s established a new approach for suppressing harmonics and resonances in power systems. The approach provided a practical means to prevent overheating, fires, and equipment failures in passive filters, capacitor banks, transformers, and cables—replacing physical resistors with lossless virtual resistance. His seminal work on multilevel converters and MMC-based STATCOMs laid the foundation for today’s grid-support technology. He proposed the use of full-bridge MMCs and built the world’s first MMC prototype at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. MMC STATCOM has become the workhorse for grid enhancement and voltage stabilization. Today, more than 95% of STATCOM installations have adopted the architecture he championed, with a market exceeding US$1 billion in 2023 and expected to reach US$4.8 billion by 2030. His invention of the transformer-less MMC UPFC has further enabled new operation modes of distribution systems, now used by industry. He also made seminal contributions with the invention of the Z-source inverter, a versatile and robust power conversion technology that overcomes the limitations of traditional voltage-source and current-source inverters. ZSI technology has become a cornerstone in smart grid systems and microgrids, and is now used in an estimated 10% to 15% of new renewable energy installations worldwide. Overall, Peng’s innovations have enabled more efficient and reliable power transmission over long distances, reduced the cost of renewable energy systems, and facilitated the broader adoption of clean energy technologies across the globe.
An IEEE Fellow, Peng is the RK Mellon Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.