Issue 15

April
2013

DC Electrical Power Distribution

Introduction
At the inception of electrical power distribution, distribution systems air‐conditioning units include brushless DC permanent magnet motors
based on direct current (DC), where electric charges do not change driven by variable frequency drives (VFD). VFD initially rectifies the AC
direction, dominated the electricity distribution market. Unavailability of input (i.e. converts it to DC), then applies pulse width modulation to
efficient low‐cost voltage transformation technology, a requisite for create the desired output frequency. Therefore, DC powered VFDs can
increasing the distance between the power generation source and power bypass the losses associated with power rectification. Similar to air
consuming load, constrained then dominating DC distribution systems. conditioners, variable‐speed compressors with brushless DC motors
Alternatively, power distribution systems based on alternating current present utmost energy savings for refrigeration equipment. Thus, DC
(AC), where electric charges periodically reverse direction, did not suffer powered refrigeration equipment enjoys inherent efficiency advantage.
from the distance constraint due to availability of low cost transformers,
which can raise the system voltage to allow delivery of power with In addition, the same study calculates energy saving of 33% for a typical
smaller size copper wire. This facilitated AC distribution systems to residential building when efficient DC power driven loads substitute
leverage the economy of scale to install large centralized generators and conventional AC loads. DC power distribution is especially economical
cover wide geographic areas, allowing the eventual emergence of AC when a facility incorporates distributed renewable energy resources such
distribution as the current leading force in electricity distribution market. as solar photovoltaic panels as they can supply power to the DC loads
This ascendance of AC also led to the proliferation of electrical loads that directly without double conversions involved in AC distribution systems
operate efficiently in AC distribution systems such as induction motors. (DC‐AC‐DC).

Current and Future Electrical Loads Emerge Alliance, a consortium based in San Ramon, California,
In recent years, digital devices such as personal computers, telephonic established a standard for 24‐volt DC ceiling circuits. Emerge is now
equipment, televisions, etc. comprise significant part of electrical commencing on bringing DC power to the desktops to power computers,
consumption. These devices need stable DC power supplies for their phones and other digital equipment without the need for inefficient
operation. As a result, these devices include converter boxes to change converter boxes.
the alternating current from wall sockets into direct current. This
conversion of power from AC to DC can raise system inefficiency as much DC Transmission
as ten percent and also affect power quality such as harmonic distortions. Increasingly, long distance transmission lines utilize high voltage DC
(HVDC) due to ease of control and lower losses than high voltage AC
Currently, digital devices represent as much as twenty percent of the total transmission lines. These long distance HVDC transmission lines are the
electricity consumption and their share in the future will expand even key to delivering power from large scale renewable energy sources such
higher with widespread adoption of fluorescent and LED (light emitting as wind and solar farms. Surging demand of DC loads at the consumer
diode) lamps. The upsurge in consumers’ embracing of electric vehicles levels and integration of HVDC transmission lines can spawn an
(EV) can make DC even more significant as electric vehicles charge on opportunity to bridge the divide, enabling medium‐voltage DC
direct current and consume substantial amounts of power. In coming distribution between them. Delivery of DC power from high‐voltage line
years, we may witness as much as fifty percent of total electrical loads to end user is especially appealing in rapidly developing economies and
need DC power supply. Therefore, opportunity for energy savings will communities that are constructing new power infrastructure and large
intensify as the growing number of electrical loads demands DC power scale renewable energy resources.
supply.
Conclusion
DC Distribution
With growth of DC‐based end‐use applications and renewable energy
DC power distribution is already common in large data centers and
source such as solar, the question obviously arises whether it makes
telecommunication networks. Instead of having power converters serve
sense to convert DC power from solar electrical systems into AC for
each computer, data centers employ large centralized converters and
distribution within the building, just to revert it back to DC at the load?
distribute 380‐volt DC power throughout the data centers. DC power
Energy savings of DC‐based appliances coupled with the avoided AC‐to‐DC
distribution affords immunity from harmonic distortions to sensitive
conversion losses within those appliances can sum as much as thirty
electronic equipment. In addition, replacing the AC‐to‐DC converters
percent. The energy advantages of DC distribution will soar if these trends
attached to individual servers with more efficient centralized inverters
continue as anticipated, including the compulsion to reduce carbon
can decrease power consumption by 15 percent compared with
emissions and lower harmonic distortions.
conventional AC configurations. Intel estimates annual power savings of
$1.2 million for a medium‐sized data center served by a DC distribution
References:
system in the U.S.
http://www.nrel.gov/esi/pdfs/wkshp_1012_power_change_world.pdf
DC power distributions in commercial facilities are also evolving as cost http://hightech.lbl.gov/documents/data_centers/DCDemoFinalReport.pdf
competitive option due to the availability of low cost, highly efficient LED http://efficiency.lbl.gov/drupal.files/ees/Catalog of DC appliances and
lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Energy saving analysis Power Systems_LBNL‐5364E.pdf
conducted by the Berkeley National Laboratories estimates that DC power http://www.emergealliance.org
driven CFL is almost 10% more efficient than that of AC counterparts. DC Arrillaga, Jos; High Voltage Direct Current Transmission, second edition,
powered LED lamps offer even higher efficacies. The study cited above Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1998.
depicts that DC powered air‐conditioning units yield greater efficiency
compared to their AC counterparts. Modern AC powered efficient