Deployed in commercial buildings and campus microgrids, direct current (DC) power supply equipment reduces the number of required conversions between alternating current (AC) and DC power, thereby increasing overall building energy efficiency. Since solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power are natively DC, the advantages of DC power systems become particularly clear when considering the integration of renewable energy generation. According to a recent report from Navigant Research, DC power supply equipment for commercial buildings will grow from US$320 million in annual revenues in 2013 to more than US$2.8 billion in 2020.
"Commercial buildings are increasingly employing alternative strategies to draw less energy from the grid, either through efficiency gains from fewer AC/DC conversions, or through reducing the need for inverters by using renewable or fuel cell power sources," said Noah Goldstein, research director with Navigant Research. "DC-based systems enable stable, high quality power distribution to critical services in buildings including security, lighting, and environmental control systems."
While power supply equipment forms a key element of DC power systems, they are not the only one. The market for DC building controls and functionality, such as powered and biometric door locks, security cameras and sensors, networking devices such as wireless access points, and actuators and controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, will be even larger, the report said, reaching US$5 billion in annual revenues by 2020.
