While power grids largely remain on AC (Alternating Current) power, the need for DC (Direct Current) power solutions is on the rise. Products such as solar panels, electronic vehicles and other digital equipment are driving the need for DC power.
Key Advantages
Efficiency – By adding solar and converting a building to DC Power companies are able to gain efficiency in multiple facets. The first great savings comes in the elimination of conversion from DC – AC – DC – AC – DC, etc. Take for example a small house running solar and powering an EV (Electric Vehicle) in the garage. By installing a battery on the roof and running a pure DC power system, no power is lost in the aforementioned conversion process. Now scale this same scenario up to a large commercial facility dozens of batteries on the roof and 20 to 50 EV spaces out front and literally thousand of digital devices all running off DC power and the savings are easy to see.
Cost Effective Solutions and Installations – According to Validus DC Systems – a leader seller of DC equipment designed to power Data Centers – DC powered Datacenters are 10 percent more efficient than state of the art AC Data Centers and 20 percent more efficient than standard data centers. What’s more, the equipment and installation of DC systems is generally 30 to 35 percent less than an AC system of the same scale (credit: greentechmedia.com).
Less overall square footage required for DC Systems – On average a DC power solutions will require 25 to 40 percent less space than an AC system of the same power scale. This will save companies significant money in real estate. That saved space can be devoted to Data Centers, maintenance facilities, etc. When measured in terms of lower lease payments, taxes and employee costs the savings are quite significant. SAP stated that it saves around $24,000 per year after converting to DC systems (credit: greentechmedia.com).