Case Studies: Enhancing Reliability and Efficiency Using Locally Generated DC Power—The Hybrid Building

摘要

Since Edison's day alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) have co-existed by necessity: AC to make the trip from the generating plant and DC to power electronic loads. This has resulted in billions of electrical compromises in the form of the ubiquitous power supply, or a rectifier, that must stand in front of DC loads to convert AC to DC. As Arthur Rosenfeld a California Energy Commissioner calls them, our "Energy Vampires." But now, many buildings are generating power of their own, usually direct current energy. Is this wasteful back-and-forth conversion really necessary? Just as the automobile industry has advanced to the hybrid car, buildings can use multiple sources of power to achieve dramatic increases in efficiency.