News

Power Conversion Opportunities in Sustainable Buildings

January 07, 2010 by Jeff Shepard

A convergence of technologies is occurring that will change how buildings are powered and this will lead to new opportunities for a variety of ac-dc and dc-dc power converter products. Two new dc power distribution standards for facilities have been developed, one for high-voltage (380Vdc) applications and another for low-voltage (24Vdc) applications. The technologies behind this growth opportunity include the continued rapid growth of distributed generation resources in buildings (photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, fuel cells, micro turbines, etc.), the emergence of high-efficiency lighting technologies (especially solid-state LED lighting), wireless building automation systems, demand-side management of building energy use by electric utilities, and so on.

Darnell’s second-annual Green Building Power Forum (GBPF ’10) to be held January 25-27 at the Doubletree Hotel, Santa Ana/Orange County Airport, California, is the only place where you can hear all the latest developments in these important areas. Topics during other sessions will include "EMerge Alliance Activities," "400Vdc Power Systems," "Micro Grids and Alternative Energy," "Low-Energy Buildings," "Optimizing Power Architectures," and "Maximizing Efficiency." In addition, GBPF ’10 will feature a panel discussion of, "What are the roadblocks to the adoption of dc power distribution?"

GBPF ’10 will encompass high-voltage and low-voltage dc power distribution as well as hybrid ac and dc distribution architectures and dc microgrids. It will be tightly focused on "Identifying Challenges, Progress and Opportunities for the use of DC Power Distribution in Facilities and the Creation of a Flexible and Dynamic Power Infrastructure." An open meeting of the EPRI/LBNL DC Power Partners group will follow directly after the close of the event on Wednesday afternoon.

Examples of the topics to be addressed at GBPF ’10 include: Selection of the optimal dc distribution voltage; Integration of distributed generation resources; DC lighting systems; DC HVAC and other building systems; DC appliances; Building automation and controls; DC microgrids; Combined heat and power; Advanced components and hardware; Safety considerations; Standardization issues; Hybrid ac and dc power distribution architectures; Implementation of demand-side management; Implications for power quality; and more.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), EMerge Alliance, Armstrong World Industries, Nextek Power Systems and Power Standards Lab will be represented by speakers during the Plenary Session. GBPF ’10 will open with Paul Savage, CEO of Nextek Power Systems discussing "Abandoning the Smart Grid for the Power Equation." Next, "Specifications for 400V DC Power Supplies and Facility Equipment" will be presented by Dennis Symanski, Sr. Program Manager with EPRI and Keiichi Hirose, Sr. Engineer with NTT Facilities. Brian Paterson, Chairman of the EMerge Alliance and General Manager of Armstrong World Industries will provide delegates with, "DC Microgrids in Action: A Report from the Field." The first session will close with a discussion of "Measuring DC Power – Let’s Get Serious about Accuracy," by Alex McEachern, President of Power Standards Lab.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Intel are Platinum Sponsors and the EMerge Alliance is a Supporting Sponsor of GBPF ’10. This focused three-day international conference will serve an audience of decision-makers who are interested in learning about and contributing to the latest practical advancements related to the use of dc power distribution in commercial, industrial, government and residential buildings; critical facilities such as data centers; and the creation of a dynamic power infrastructure.

The GBPF ’10 web site is here .