Hammond’s 300,000 homes need DC power supply to rescue zero carbon vision and cut energy bills
Most low-energy household devices are deemed ‘inefficient’ under current home electric systems
Developers need to act now to fit new builds with Direct Current electric supply if the Government wants to hit zero carbon targets and cut consumer energy bills, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) calls today, in response to the Autumn Budget announcement.
“Most household devices and lighting, such as LED bulbs, run off of low voltage DC power supply, and are deemed ‘energy efficient’ but our houses still run on high voltage AC supply, which means these devices actually have to work harder to convert that energy first”, says IET Built Environment Policy Chair Blane Judd. “Improvement measures on new builds are needed to address this problem and a DC electric supply directly into the home, will solve this. In turn it will contribute greatly to a carbon neutral future and reduced energy costs.
“Solar panels and battery storage solutions still highlight inefficiencies, as whilst they store DC power, homes still have to go through a conversion process, meaning they are little more efficient than the energy we get from the Grid. All this raising and lowering voltages costs energy- the only solution is to build houses with DC or duel-DC supply and retrofit existing homes. Not only will this save energy and cut households’ energy bills, it will make the electrics in our homes safer.
“The IET now wants to work with businesses to champion this vision and calls on manufacturers to develop high power appliances, such as kettles and white-goods, which operate effectively using DC power supplies.”
