DC Power Systems and Battery Backup

DC power systems have been rediscovered and are leading the way in energy savings for battery backup to headends and data center uninterruptible power supply needs.

When Edison lost the battle to have DC used for electrical distribution back in the late 1800s to the Westinghouse push for AC the war was over or so it seemed.

A preliminary test by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of a direct current (DC) power system at a Duke Energy data center in Charlotte, North Carolina found that the system uses 15 percent less electricity than the existing alternating current (AC) power system.

"While this is significant news for any company running a data center today, this could be especially critical for the more than 2.5 million smaller data centers across the United States that rely upon inexpensive yet viable ways to reduce costs," said Curtis Watkins in Duke Energy's Technology Development group. "

If this DC technology was implemented in all those data centers the impact could be significant." (you can read entire article here.)

Energy savings is certainly an important factor driving the switch. The resurgence of DC power also comes from increased demand by two different groups of users.

• The need for stable backup systems for critical power infrastructure like hospitals, data centers, telecommunications and institutions drives the debate.
• The proliferation of alternative energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines that run on or produce DC power.

Together they have busted the issue of AC vs. DC wide open again.

When your next battery string or DC Power System project gets the green light, be sure to contact the professionals from Granahan Electrical Contractors.

We do DC Power Systems right. And at a right price.

Call us at 215-340-4545 or e-mail us here.

Granahan Electrical Contractors