Endpoint Use Efficiency Comparison for AC and DC Power Distribution in Commercial Buildings

Arthur Santos, Gerald Duggan, Stephen Frank, Daniel Gerber and Daniel Zimmerle
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Arthur Santos: Department of Systems Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Gerald Duggan: Department of Systems Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Stephen Frank: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Daniel Gerber: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Daniel Zimmerle: Department of Systems Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-24

Abstract: Advances in power electronics and their use in Miscellaneous Electric Loads (MELs) in buildings have resulted in increased interest in using low-voltage direct current (DC) power distribution as a replacement for the standard alternating current (AC) power distribution in buildings. Both systems require an endpoint converter to convert the distribution system voltage to the MELs voltage requirements. This study focused on the efficiency of these endpoint converters by testing pairs of AC/DC and DC/DC power converters powering the same load profile. In contrast to prior studies, which estimated losses based on data sheet efficiency and rated loads, in this study, we used part load data derived from real-world time-series load measurements of MELs and experimentally characterized efficiency curves for all converters. The measurements performed for this study showed no systematic efficiency advantage for commercially available DC/DC endpoint converters relative to comparable, commercially available AC/DC endpoint converters. For the eight appliances analyzed with the pair of converters tested, in 50%, the weighted energy efficiency of the DC/DC converter was higher, while, for the other 50%, the AC/DC converter was. Additionally, the measurements indicated that the common assumption of using either data sheet efficiency values or efficiency at full load may result in substantial mis-estimates of the system efficiency.

Keywords: DC distribution; AC/DC converters; DC/DC converters; miscellaneous electric loads (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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