Green Forum Explores Use Of DC Power In Buildings

A workshop titled “EPRI/LBNL DC Power Partners Workshop,” was added to the First Annual Green Building Power Forum (GBPF ’09) being held June 1-3 in Anaheim, Calif. A convergence of technologies will change how buildings are powered. These technologies include the continued growth of distributed generation resources (photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, and micro turbines), the emergence of high-efficiency lighting technologies (especially solid-state LED lighting), wireless building automation systems, and demand-side management of building energy use by electric utilities. Together with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is working to identify opportunities for the use of dc-power in buildings.

GBPF ‘09 will encompass high-voltage and low-voltage dc power distribution as well as hybrid ac and dc distribution architectures and dc microgrids. This particular workshop will identify the current status and future plans for the development of dc power distribution including: business case considerations, safety factors, quantification of the energy savings and reliability benefits, and standardization issues.

The GBPF ‘09 web site is located at http://GreenBuildingPower.darnell.com .