DC grids: Going back to the future

Ruth Williams visited Bath, in southwest England, to see how a computer network run from a DC micro-grid has become the starting point for an international study for using battery storage to maximise renewable energy.

Although AC won the 'war of the currents' of the 1880s, DC is perfectly suited to low voltage electrical devices including computers and LED lighting, as well as many energy efficient appliances. If localised DC networks or self-contained micro‑grids became commonplace, this could create a large market for lead‑acid storage batteries, as well as other chemistries.

Since December 2010 . . .