# Ep. 24 | GE Renewables' VP & CTO Danielle Merfeld on Engineers in Power

- Show: [Moore's Lobby](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby)
- Published: 2021-05-11
- Length: 43m
- Episode: 9
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power
- Listen: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/podcast/ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power

## Summary

Dr. Danielle Merfeld, VP and CTO of GE Renewable Energy, discusses the rapid cost reductions in wind and solar, noting that building new wind farms is now cheaper than conventional thermal plants. She explains how wide-bandgap semiconductors like silicon carbide enable compact, high-efficiency power electronics essential for offshore wind and grid stability. Merfeld also highlights the critical need for grid modernization, including HVDC transmission and energy storage, to manage the variability of renewable sources and ensure a resilient, diverse energy ecosystem.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=1) Introduction: Dr. Danielle Merfeld and GE Renewable Energy
- [2:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=122) Merfeld's Career Path and Advice on Following Passion
- [9:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=574) Pursuing a PhD in Semiconductor Devices
- [13:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=786) Building Inclusive Corporate Culture at GE
- [17:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=1050) The Economics of Wind, Solar, and Energy Storage
- [22:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=1339) Silicon Carbide and Power Electronics in Renewables
- [29:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=1754) Grid Modernization, HVDC, and Transmission Strategy
- [35:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power#t=2155) Grid Inertia, Power Electronics, and Future Resilience

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- GE Renewable Energy (company)
- silicon carbide (chip)
- gallium nitride (chip)
- HVDC (other)
- NREL (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Solving a Renewables Problem with Electric Vehicles](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-05-28-solving-a-renewables-problem-with-electric-vehicles) (EE Times Current)
- [PowerUP Energy: The Future with Renewable Energies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-12-08-powerup-energy-the-future-with-renewable-energies) (EE Times Current)
- [The rise of grid power electronics with Drew Baglino](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-02-19-the-rise-of-grid-power-electronics-with-drew-baglino) (Catalyst)
- [213: Electricity Doesn't Act Like an Apple](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-08-31-213-electricity-doesnt-act-like-an-apple) (Embedded.fm)
- [Enter the electric supercycle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-06-18-enter-the-electric-supercycle) (Catalyst)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-05-11-ep-24-ge-renewables-vp-cto-danielle-merfeld-on-engineers-in-power. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Moore's Lobby.