Abstract
With the refurbishment of our Stevenage office, we have got an ideal opportunity to pilot DC power in the workplace by running a live environment in part of the building that can be used as an exemplar. Not only in contributing to reducing our own carbon footprint but also as a live case study for stakeholders who are interested in energy efficiency, the built environment and sustainability.
The UK lacks exemplars to promote the concept of DC distribution in buildings. Bath university did an interesting project in their library in 2011, where they clearly demonstrated the benefits. There are a few others, but they are not being used to demonstrate the possibility and the long-term benefits. Futures Place will be an exemplar supported by our presence in the media has potential to change thinking.
What is the difference between AC and DC power?
Alternating current (AC) power is the standard electricity that comes out of power outlets like plug sockets and is defined as a flow of charge that periodically changes direction between positive and negative.
Direct current (DC) is a linear electrical current, which is far more consistent in terms of voltage delivery and can come from multiple sources such as batteries, solar cells and fuel cells. In fact, most renewable energy sources are DC.
How does it work?
The conversion of electrical current between AC and DC is an inefficient use of power, it loses current and generates heat. You can feel that when you touch the adapter on your laptop and its warm. Using DC rather than AC could save 10-15% of energy costs per year. The work we are doing now suggests that it could be higher. This project will help with this.
Why is DC power so important?
There are several factors. Across the world, 900 million people have no electricity of any kind. Of these, 300 million live too far away to be connected to a national grid. The UN SDG 7 is to ‘ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all’ and DC power could provide plentiful, reliable, affordable electricity to rural areas.
Likewise, in future we’ll be using more energy to power electric vehicles for example, placing increased demand on the grid, which already struggles to keep up with demand. Our reliance on electricity could increase further in future, but we also need to reduce our carbon footprint for the benefit of our planet. The adoption of DC power could be a real driver in terms of reliability, sustainability and energy efficiency, benefiting the environment.
What other benefits can DC power bring?
There’s the safety aspect. AC power is unnecessarily powerful and can be dangerous due to high voltage. As well as being energy efficient, DC power would also be more cost effective, generating strong financial savings.
So, why isn’t it already widespread?
For consumers to take advantage of DC, there will need to be new plugs and sockets, and manufacturers will need to make some slight modifications to their products.
