Market Need

Today commercial buildings use between 33-50% of all AC electricity produced and distributed by public utilities in the U.S.

These same buildings also use a majority of digital electronic devices that are inherently DC powered. This means that more AC power must be converted to DC at the device level to power equipment like electronic lighting ballasts, solid state lighting (i.e. LEDs), lighting sensors and controls, HVAC controls and actuators, and assorted computer/IT equipment.

The increasing amount of native DC power generated from renewable energy sources like solar or wind must also be converted to AC electricity to be compatible with existing AC distribution methods.

These conversions, in both directions, result in significant losses of electricity and associated wasted energy. They also add to the complexity and reduced reliability of the overall electrical system.

Efforts to create a Smart Grid need "smarter buildings" that can minimize these conversion losses and reduce the overall load on our nation's energy resources.

An open industry association