Goodbye AC, hello DC

Alternating current is on the way out, so say the TU Delft researchers behind the DC Distribution Smart Grids project.

Funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, Dr Pavol Bauer and Dr Laura Ramirez Elizondo of the DC Systems, Energy Conversion & Storage department (EEMCS) are studying what is required to make sustainable low voltage DC (direct current) grids possible.

“AC voltage is a legacy of the past,”Ramirez Elizondo earlier explained to Delta (‘From AC to DC: no more adapters’). “All our devices, from laptops to toasters and TVs, use DC voltage. Transformers convert the AC (alternating current) voltage from a power outlet into DC voltage for these devices, while solar panels produce DC voltage too.” Ramirez Elizondo says it is inefficient to convert electricity from DC to AC and back to DC again.

However, there are quite some problems to overcome before we can switch to sustainable low voltage DC grids. For example, the DC grids will need to be more resistant to faults such as short circuits. This is one of the subjects that the TU Delft researchers are working on as part of this EU project. They are also creating algorithms to balance the supply and demand of DC grids, because the introduction of a new electricity supply system will change the way we use energy. Electricity production by 
solar panels and wind turbines varies strongly and will require clever measures to be used efficiently. The solution could be smart grids, networks in which grid operators, electricity producers and consumers coordinate how they use the grid.