Multilevel DC Power Demo Unveiled
SAN RAMON, Calif. — The EMerge Alliance — an open industry association aimed at facilitating the rapid adoption of safe DC power distribution standards for commercial buildings — unveiled its first multilevel DC power demonstration to show the hybrid AC-DC power concept for a building at the Greenbuild Conference in Toronto.
The demonstration showcased a range of DC power applications available currently, as well as those that will be available in the future, said Brian Patterson, chairman of the Emergence Alliance.
“Our vision, which aligns perfectly with the core premise of Greenbuild, is to foster more sustainable buildings by bringing hybrid AC-DC power architectures and DC microgrids to occupied spaces, data centers, building services and outdoor applications,” Patterson said.
The display featured a DC ceiling cloud demo and DC-powered desktop concepts, and highlighted a data center application that provides a side-by-side look at the benefits of using DC versus AC to power an Intel server by minimizing the typical conversion losses that waste energy.
The booth also featured a display of how DC power can be incorporated outside buildings with on-site solar panels and electric vehicle charging.
DC power generated from on-site sources that directly support DC loads can dramatically improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and reduce environmental impact, according to a statement from the Alliance, which was launched at Greenbuild in 2008 and now boasts a membership of more than 80 organizations and about 40 EMerge Alliance Registered products.
A total of 16 EMerge Alliance members exhibited at the conference.
Newest members to the Alliance include Sun Edison, ictinus consulting, GmbH, Egret Consulting Group, Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy, Project Frog and Systems Integration.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association also joined the Alliance to support the DC power standards movement, as well as Don Talka, senior vice president and chief engineer at Underwriters Laboratories as a member of the Advisory Council.