Page 9 - Fast Forward to a Sustainable Future

DC Demo. Bosch LLC is already demonstrating a direct current microgrid, which connects DC lighting and DC ventilation to a solar array, in
a facility owned by Livingston & Haven.
“With the additional energy storage on the PROVING GROUND the technology for a 12-month period.
DC grid, we can incorporate a lot of other In terms of learning, Ravula says that Bosch Beyond that, they will provide training
features, like providing back-up energy. hopes to prove that their estimates for for installers and inspectors to help
We can also do peak load reduction energy savings and increased solar energy familiarize them on how to install DC grids
and demand response,” Ravula explains. utilization are on target. “We have actually in commercial buildings. “The installation
“During peak hours, we can reduce the seen some of these gains already with the and training, including manuals and
amount of building load by using energy Department of Defense project, but with documentation, will be part of what we
discharged from flow batteries, which are the Honda project, we will prove this on develop with this project money, so we can
charged using excess solar energy during a much larger scale,” she explains. The actually commercialize the system once
the day. For the California project, we are company also plans to demonstrate that the project is done,” says Ravula.
also using ultracapacitors to absorb the PV they can deploy a significant amount of Saussele adds that, though the system
variability and reduce the fluctuations in solar onsite without having a major impact is scalable, larger buildings are the
the output of the energy from the onsite on the utility grid. “This would be the most current focus. “With the DC microgrid,
solar array.” cost-effective manner to install solar and we can use the energy from solar panels
To achieve their goal of showcasing the run these loads, while providing higher [and other] renewable sources 7 to 10
microgrid’s ability to promote a higher reliability and performance,” says Ravula. percent more efficiently than a state-
penetration of distributed solar, Bosch has Until the system design is complete, of-the-art conventional AC system.”
teamed up with several partners. Imergy the full long-term effects of energy The configuration is also more reliable.
Power Systems is providing flow batteries savings cannot be estimated. “For a typical He explains that the ultimate goal of
for the DC microgrid. building, we move some of the major the demonstration will be to prove the
“Imergy’s batteries are very cost loads to operate on DC,” Ravula explains. technology before going to market. “We
competitive for long-duration energy “With our DC grid, we would cut 60 to are starting with these large big-box-
discharge occupations, such as peak 70 percent of the typical energy use for type buildings, but the system can be
load reduction and backup,” says Ravula. these loads. So if, for example, they were scaled to fit smaller buildings, as well.”
Maxwell Technologies is set to provide using 100 kilowatt-hours from the utility The system is designed to be retrofit. A
the ultracapacitors that will give benefits grid, now they would be using 30 to 40 lighting upgrade, for instance, provides
to short-term storage. The lighting and kilowatt-hours.” the perfect opportunity to implement
efficiency gains from the project will a DC microgrid, as it can utilize the
be validated by the California Lighting DISSEMINATING THE TECHNOLOGY existing wiring. Saussele adds that the
Technology Center, a part of UC Davis, as Once the system is installed, Bosch technology is equally applicable to new
well as by Navigant Consulting. plans to closely monitor and validate construction. n

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