Any movement in DC wiring in your area?

[LarryFine]

The HVDC is actually cheaper than HVAC depending on distance.
And as mentioned above, makes for easier interconnection Without worrying about such things as frequency, or angular differences.

Or reactive components.

 

[keith gigabyte]

agree dc contactors VERY expensive when you get in the higher currents. Worked around a lot of 250 dc in steel mills..old crane controls; and other rail mounted semi mobile equipment. Also worked with 25 cycle..hertz for you youngins.. the dc has a much more spectacular arc when shorted..because its always on..instead of the zero cross on AC. in my opinion DC will never be a "consumer" way to distribute power due to its IR losses and size/price of contactors and breakers. look at most 240v 2 pole or single pole breakers..haven't looked recently but I remember dc volt rating at around 48vdc

 

[tom baker]

I have heard of a few data centers using DC power. I had a lot of control panels with a AC to DC power supply and a DC UPS, for the plcs and instrumentation. Way more efficient than AC UPS as it avoids all the conversion and the end equipment was all 24 DC anyway, plus safer to work on.
There is a 500,000 V DC line from Grand Coulee Dam to California, been in use many years

 

[fastline]

Keith, I think that is why I opened the discussion. Honestly people 10yrs ago were saying we would never be able to power cars and homes with solar and Lithium, but here we are. If switch gear is the only complication, I am sure we can solve that with controlling current inrush similar to a reactor.

I think what is interesting is there are lots of good things about DC, but mostly that not only is that how power is made with solar right now, but its damn easy to control and modulate. I don't think people realize how many devices in their home are already DC and you pay extra to kick that AC down to usable DC.

You still have to love the simplicity of AC though! Tesla was not wrong!

 

[Besoeker3]

There is a cross channel HVDC link between France and England. It is bi-directional but every time I have looked at our National Grid stats, we have been importing. Means we depend on French nuclear power.

 

[Besoeker3]

There is a cross channel HVDC link between France and England. It is bi-directional but every time I have looked at our National Grid stats, we have been importing. Means we depend on French nuclear power.

Currently running at the full capacity, 2GW, of the link.