Alderbuck Energy Welcomes Ajith Wijenayake as Chief Technology Officer to Advance Next-Generation Power Electronics and Grid Infrastructure
Alderbuck Energy has announced the appointment of Ajith Wijenayake as its new Chief Technology Officer, bringing more than three decades of expertise in power electronics, electrification technologies, and advanced energy storage systems to the rapidly growing company. The appointment represents a strategic step for Alderbuck as it continues to develop next-generation infrastructure designed to support the evolving needs of modern energy systems, including data centers, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, and distributed energy resources.
Wijenayake joins Alderbuck Energy at a time when the global power industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by electrification, digitalization, and the growing demand for resilient and efficient grid architectures. His extensive experience across multiple technological eras of power electronics—from early motor drive innovations to cutting-edge silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technologies—positions him to play a critical role in guiding the company’s technological direction and product development efforts.
Throughout his career, Wijenayake has been deeply involved in the evolution of power electronics technologies that form the backbone of modern electrified systems. His work has spanned industrial motor drives, electric vehicle propulsion systems, power conversion platforms, and advanced semiconductor technologies that enable high-efficiency energy conversion and distribution. With Alderbuck Energy focused on building modular and scalable energy infrastructure, his experience in developing and commercializing complex power electronics platforms aligns closely with the company’s long-term vision.
In his new role as Chief Technology Officer, Wijenayake will oversee the development of Alderbuck’s technology roadmap, guide engineering teams, and help accelerate the commercialization of advanced power conversion systems designed for emerging grid architectures. The company is working to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the modern energy landscape, including the integration of renewable generation, the electrification of transportation, and the increasing power demands of hyperscale data centers.
Commenting on his new position, Wijenayake expressed enthusiasm about joining Alderbuck Energy and contributing to the development of technologies that could reshape how electricity is generated, distributed, and consumed.
“Applying power electronics to next-generation energy systems and electrification has defined my career,” Wijenayake said. “What attracted me to Alderbuck is its unique position to lead at the forefront of technologies that will fundamentally reshape U.S. energy infrastructure, from the medium-voltage grid layer down to low-voltage DC distribution.”
He emphasized that the convergence of multiple electrification trends—including advanced data center architectures, large-scale battery energy storage systems, and the rapid growth of electric vehicle charging networks—creates both challenges and opportunities for innovative energy infrastructure solutions.
“I am particularly energized by the chance to work alongside a team of experts with a strong technical vision and a deep understanding of both the hardware and software dimensions of this problem,” he added. “The transition to 800-volt direct current architectures in data centers, the complexities of battery energy storage system integration, and the rapid buildout of EV charging infrastructure are not isolated challenges. They are fundamentally the same problem expressed at different scales.”
According to Wijenayake, addressing these interconnected challenges requires new approaches to energy system design that emphasize modularity, scalability, and efficiency across a wide range of applications. He believes Alderbuck’s platform-based strategy—focused on compact and flexible power conversion systems—offers a promising path toward building unified energy ecosystems that can seamlessly connect different layers of the power grid.
“Alderbuck’s modular, scalable, and compact platform-based solution is a perfect approach,” he said. “I am excited about the opportunity to build technologies that unify and connect these domains into a cohesive, scalable energy ecosystem.”
Alderbuck Energy’s leadership team believes Wijenayake’s appointment will strengthen the company’s technical capabilities as it continues to develop advanced solid-state transformer (SST) platforms and other next-generation power conversion technologies. These systems are expected to play an important role in enabling more flexible and efficient power distribution networks capable of supporting renewable energy integration, distributed generation, and high-capacity electrification infrastructure.
Rick Sander, Chief Executive Officer of Alderbuck Energy, highlighted the strategic importance of bringing in a CTO with deep expertise in advanced power electronics and energy systems development.
“We are building infrastructure for a grid that did not exist a decade ago,” Sander said. “The pace of electrification and the growing complexity of energy systems require new types of technology platforms that can operate across multiple voltage levels and applications.”
Sander noted that the development of advanced solid-state transformer platforms is particularly critical for enabling the next generation of power infrastructure. Unlike traditional transformers, solid-state transformers incorporate power electronics and digital control systems to provide improved efficiency, flexibility, and grid responsiveness.
“Having a CTO who has an expert understanding of solid-state transformer platforms and has successfully brought advanced power electronics products from prototypes to commercialization is a meaningful addition to the team,” Sander said.
Wijenayake’s professional journey includes experience across both research and commercial product development environments. He has played key roles in developing innovative power electronics solutions, guiding technologies from early research stages through engineering validation and ultimately into large-scale deployment.
According to Sander, this combination of technical depth and real-world commercialization experience is relatively rare in the industry.
“Ajith’s journey—from founding initiatives through funded research and development to eventual acquisition—represents exactly the kind of first-hand solid-state transformer development experience that is difficult to find in a single technical leader,” he said. “We are extremely pleased to welcome him to the Alderbuck team.”
As global energy systems continue shifting toward electrified and digitally controlled infrastructures, companies like Alderbuck Energy are working to design solutions that can handle the increasing complexity of modern power networks. From renewable energy integration and distributed energy resources to high-power EV charging corridors and large-scale data center campuses, the demand for advanced power conversion technologies is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decade.
The shift toward higher voltage direct current architectures, particularly in energy-intensive applications such as hyperscale computing facilities, represents another emerging trend that companies in the power electronics sector are actively addressing. Direct current systems can improve efficiency by reducing the number of energy conversion stages required within power distribution networks, helping operators lower energy losses and improve reliability.
At the same time, the widespread deployment of battery energy storage systems is creating new requirements for flexible and intelligent power electronics that can manage bidirectional energy flows, grid stability services, and rapid response to fluctuating renewable generation.
Alderbuck Energy aims to address these evolving requirements by building modular power conversion platforms capable of operating across multiple segments of the energy ecosystem. The company’s technology approach focuses on creating scalable architectures that can be deployed in a wide range of applications, from grid-edge infrastructure to large-scale industrial installations.
With Wijenayake now leading the company’s technology strategy, Alderbuck expects to accelerate development of solutions that bring together hardware innovation, advanced semiconductor technologies, and sophisticated control software.
Wijenayake’s academic background further reinforces his technical credentials. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from Marquette University. In addition, he earned undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees from the University of Moratuwa and Louisiana State University.
Over the course of his career, he has contributed to the advancement of power electronics research and development through both intellectual property and technical publications. Wijenayake currently holds three United States patents and has authored or co-authored multiple papers presented at conferences and published in journals associated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
As Alderbuck Energy continues expanding its technology portfolio and pursuing opportunities within the evolving energy infrastructure sector, the company believes Wijenayake’s leadership will help drive innovation in the power electronics platforms that underpin the electrified economy of the future.
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