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Energy-saving opportunities of direct-DC loads in buildings

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  • Gerber, Daniel L.
  • Liou, Richard
  • Brown, Richard

Abstract

Despite the recent interest in direct current (DC) power distribution in buildings, the market for DC-ready loads remains small. The existing DC loads in various products or research test beds are not always designed to efficiently leverage the benefits of DC. This work addresses a pressing need for a study into the development of efficient DC loads. In particular, it focuses on documenting and demonstrating how to best leverage a DC input to eliminate or improve conversion stages in a load’s power converter. This work identifies how typical building loads can benefit from DC input, including bath fans, refrigerators, wall adapters, task lights, and zone lighting. It then details the development of several prototypes that demonstrate efficiency savings with DC. The most efficient direct-DC loads are explicitly designed for DC from the ground up, rather than from an AC modification.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerber, Daniel L. & Liou, Richard & Brown, Richard, 2019. "Energy-saving opportunities of direct-DC loads in buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C), pages 274-287.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:248:y:2019:i:c:p:274-287
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.04.089
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frank, Stephen M. & Rebennack, Steffen, 2015. "Optimal design of mixed AC–DC distribution systems for commercial buildings: A Nonconvex Generalized Benders Decomposition approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(3), pages 710-729.
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    3. Gerber, Daniel L. & Vossos, Vagelis & Feng, Wei & Marnay, Chris & Nordman, Bruce & Brown, Richard, 2018. "A simulation-based efficiency comparison of AC and DC power distribution networks in commercial buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 1167-1187.
    4. Glasgo, Brock & Azevedo, Inês Lima & Hendrickson, Chris, 2016. "How much electricity can we save by using direct current circuits in homes? Understanding the potential for electricity savings and assessing feasibility of a transition towards DC powered buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 66-75.
    5. Vossos, Vagelis & Gerber, Daniel & Bennani, Youness & Brown, Richard & Marnay, Chris, 2018. "Techno-economic analysis of DC power distribution in commercial buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 663-678.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Wang, Ting & Zhang, Chunyan & Hao, Zhiguo & Monti, Antonello & Ponci, Ferdinanda, 2023. "Data-driven fault detection and isolation in DC microgrids without prior fault data: A transfer learning approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    4. Patrik Ollas & Torbjörn Thiringer & Mattias Persson & Caroline Markusson, 2023. "Energy Loss Savings Using Direct Current Distribution in a Residential Building with Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Mustapha Mukhtar & Bismark Ameyaw & Nasser Yimen & Quixin Zhang & Olusola Bamisile & Humphrey Adun & Mustafa Dagbasi, 2021. "Building Retrofit and Energy Conservation/Efficiency Review: A Techno-Environ-Economic Assessment of Heat Pump System Retrofit in Housing Stock," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, January.
    6. Patrik Ollas & Torbjörn Thiringer & Mattias Persson, 2024. "Enhanced DC Building Distribution Performance Using a Modular Grid-Tied Converter Design," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-18, June.
    7. Yu, Hang & Niu, Songyan & Shang, Yitong & Shao, Ziyun & Jia, Youwei & Jian, Linni, 2022. "Electric vehicles integration and vehicle-to-grid operation in active distribution grids: A comprehensive review on power architectures, grid connection standards and typical applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    8. Gerber, Daniel L. & Nordman, Bruce & Brown, Richard & Poon, Jason, 2023. "Cost analysis of distributed storage in AC and DC microgrids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 344(C).
    9. Belqasem Aljafari & Subramanian Vasantharaj & Vairavasundaram Indragandhi & Rhanganath Vaibhav, 2022. "Optimization of DC, AC, and Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid-Based IoT Systems: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-30, September.
    10. Hallemans, L. & Ravyts, S. & Govaerts, G. & Fekriasl, S. & Van Tichelen, P. & Driesen, J., 2022. "A stepwise methodology for the design and evaluation of protection strategies in LVDC microgrids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    11. Arthur Santos & Gerald Duggan & Stephen Frank & Daniel Gerber & Daniel Zimmerle, 2021. "Endpoint Use Efficiency Comparison for AC and DC Power Distribution in Commercial Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.
    12. Gerber, Daniel L. & Ghatpande, Omkar A. & Nazir, Moazzam & Heredia, Willy G. Bernal & Feng, Wei & Brown, Richard E., 2022. "Energy and power quality measurement for electrical distribution in AC and DC microgrid buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    13. Emmers, Glenn & Van Acker, Tom & Driesen, Johan, 2024. "A semi-Markovian approach to evaluate the availability of low voltage direct current systems with integrated battery storage," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    14. Xie, Xiangmin & Chen, Daolian, 2022. "Data-driven dynamic harmonic model for modern household appliances," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    15. Maximiliano Lainfiesta Herrera & Hassan S. Hayajneh & Xuewei Zhang, 2021. "DC Communities: Transformative Building Blocks of the Emerging Energy Infrastructure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-8, November.
    16. Olivia Graillet & Denis Genon-Catalot & Pierre-Olivier Lucas de Peslouan & Flavien Bernard & Frédéric Alicalapa & Laurent Lemaitre & Jean-Pierre Chabriat, 2024. "Optimizing Energy Consumption: A Case Study of LVDC Nanogrid Implementation in Tertiary Buildings on La Réunion Island," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, March.

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