The DC House for low power households – DC-DC converter analysis

Abstract

Renewable energy generation is achieving ever deeper penetration into the power grid because of its advantages. Renewable power sources are becoming more and more popular and renewable energies have many advantages including reduced environmental impact. This paper presents a design framework to implement a DC powered house. Different aspects of this solution will be described. A possible standard voltage for a DC house will be determined as well as the amount of power used by a small household. As the prices on renewable energy generators such as photovoltaic panels’ decreases, it makes DC power systems more attractive. The paper also covers the design and simulation of a DC-DC converter used in the solution to provide DC power to a household. Load tests are simulated and show the effects of load changes on the stability of the DC network.