US DC Microgrid Demonstration

Does a DC microgrid save energy in a building?

Although an efficiency savings of 10–18% for a DC lighting and building microgrid is significant, it saves energy by aligning the DC microgrid voltage with the voltage(s) accepted by other building loads. Lighting is not the only possible DC load.

What are DC lighting and building microgrids?

Direct current (DC) electricity has the potential to improve the resiliency, reliability, and energy efficiency of building systems, specifically in the context of DC lighting and building microgrids.

What is a DC building Microgrid controller?

A DC building Microgrid controller is designed to produce a specific DC voltage to power DC building loads. The voltage produced is typically 380 V DC.

Are DC microgrids the future of electricity delivery?

Panelists will discuss solutions to widescale adoption of DC microgrids, which are envisioned to be essential building blocks of the future electricity delivery system to support resilience, decarbonization and affordability.

Are emerge microgrid controllers fully standardized?

Although progress has been made to define common voltages, such as those specified by the EMerge Alliance, full standardization remains elusive for DC microgrid controllers due to lingering gaps between the controllers and the DC loads they power. Although many lighting manufacturers are aligning their offerings around PoE standards, there are still differences between the controllers and the loads.

What type of electricity does a microgrid produce?

Microgrids can produce either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) electricity. AC electricity is an electric current that periodically reverses direction, while DC flows in one direction. Solar PV panels produce DC electricity. Microgrids can be either AC or DC or a hybrid.